You'll Have My Shoulder, Forever
by redgreencrayon
Summary: [Complete] Ella & Char's perfect family, twenty years later. Well, that really reflects your definition of perfect... Please read and review.
1. A Happy Ending?

Last time we left Ella she was living happily ever after with her husband, Char, but exactly how long was happily ever after?  
  
~*~  
  
"Mother!"  
  
"Yes! Elizabeth!" Ella sighed expectedly "What is it?"  
  
"Mother Leonardo stole my doll!" Elizabeth complained. Elizabeth was Ella's 10- year-old daughter; she was rather spoilt, as was Leonardo her twin brother. Elizabeth had brown curls, like Char (although hers were shoulder length) and green eyes like Ella, Leonardo had the same eye colour as his sister but his curly brown hair was very short; he looked just like a male version of Elizabeth.  
  
"Leonardo please return Elizabeth's book." Ella said  
  
"It's a doll" Leonardo replied quietly.  
  
"I DON'T CARE" Ella yelled losing her patience  
  
He returned his sister's toy quickly and they both stared in silence at their mother.   
  
"Well, what are you looking at me for?" Ella asked angrily "Go to your bedrooms and for crying out loud please stay away from each other. I wish I had had as much freedom as you two do when I was your age." Then she suddenly realized what she had said.  
  
"What do you mean, mother?" Elizabeth inquired  
  
"Nothing Elizabeth, it was a figure of speech." Ella answered not looking Elizabeth in the eye  
  
"Alright" Elizabeth said leaving the room, followed by her brother.  
  
Ella took a deep breath, got up and closed the door of the room she was in. It was a very small room, there were three pieces of furniture there: an old rocking chair, a small table and a shelf with many books. There was also a rug there, the rug was old too, it had belonged to Ella's mother, a "fairy joke" Mandy, the cook, called it. Nevertheless, this small this room was Ella's favourite. It was nice and cozy.   
  
With the exception of Char and Mandy nobody knew what Ella really did in this room, which was looking through her magic book that her fairy godmother had given to her when she was young. The pages were different when ever she looked through them.   
  
Ella reached under the tablecloth of the table that was beside her and pulled out the book to see what was in it today. She didn't even have to flip the pages; on the very first page was the thing she was looking for. A note from Char who was currently in a meeting with some of the palace knights.  
  
Dear Ella,  
  
Are you looking through this book again? If you are I hope you can read this.  
  
Ella could tell that he was writing this at this very moment because as she read there were more words being written.  
  
This truly is a boring meeting! Sir Ruther will not shut up about how he recently slaughtered a dragon and saved a princess. Well, I didn't have to do that to win my princess (wink). All right I'll stop writing rubbish…wait…yes…. yes.. He's finished his story!!! We can all go! I just have to say some finishing words now so bye.   
  
Ok I'll see you soon!  
  
Love Char  
  
Ella closed the book and put it back in it's hiding place, then got up, opened the door of the room and went outside.  
  
"Ella!" came a voice and then somebody suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders, Ella rolled her eyes.  
  
"Char! I was startled, you've only done this to me a dozen times…a day!" she remarked sarcastically  
  
Char laughed and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"So what happened in the meeting, wait…umm…. Char, who's that?" Ella asked as she noticed a boy about 18 or so entering through the back door.  
  
"Let me deal with it" Char whispered in her ear and walked away.   
  
As he approached the boy the boy froze not believing the king himself was walking towards him.  
  
"May I help you?" Char inquired politely  
  
"Uh…no…sir…. I mean…your majesty…I'm just the gardener" The boy stuttered  
  
"So why aren't you in the garden?" The king questioned  
  
"I was just…. thirsty…so..."  
  
"Oh…okay..." Char nodded, understanding the situation "Well, the kitchen is right over there, you may get a bottle for yourself and take some water out there. It is very hot, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes…. I mean…. your majesty…" He bowed and walked toward the kitchen.  
  
Ella snorted…for some reason whenever somebody treated Char in a strange way she found it funny. When they were newly weds Char and her would often go around for walks in the town and the locals when they saw them coming would drop things and bow or start stammering and Ella couldn't help laughing but now she could control herself enough to snort behind her hand. 


	2. John

Isabella was Char and Ella's 17-year-old daughter. She had brown hair though it was not curly. On the contrary, it was very, very straight and fell slightly below her shoulders. She as well had green eyes. She looked so much like Ella; her name would have been Eleanor too. Only her mother and father thought better and named her Isabella; it ended with "Ella" so her mother's family tradition wasn't exactly broken.   
  
Anyhow, right now she was in her room lying on her bed waiting. Waiting for…well…. waiting.   
  
"Late," She thought "as usual"  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and she quickly went to open it. It was him. It was John. John was a gardener at the palace, they had met two years ago at the royal garden party and had fallen madly in love and had ever since been seeing each other in secret. She pulled him in, quickly closing and locking the door behind.   
  
John had black hair that was always messy, and sky blue eyes. His skin was a little tan but not too much. His figure was tall, very tall.  
  
"Why were you so late John" Isabella questioned him in a voice that was no louder than a whisper.  
  
"Your father saw me," John replied "So I said that I was thirsty, and he sent me to the kitchen and…" His voice trailed of as he saw that Isabella's mouth was hanging open.  
  
"FATHER SAW YOU!" Isabella exclaimed at the top of her voice  
  
"Shhhh!"  
  
"I'm sorry…. but father…this whole thing could have been blown!"   
  
"Isabella…." he said and pulled her toward him, giving her a long kiss, then let her go. Isabella smiled up at him.  
  
"Okay, come on" Isabella said taking his hand in hers. "Are you hungry?"  
  
"What do you think?" John asked sarcastically as he sat down on the bed  
  
She took out a bag full of freshly baked scones and sat down next to him.   
  
"I had Mandy prepare these" Isabella told him "I didn't eat breakfast, today, you know how hard it is for me to eat without you."  
  
John rolled his eyes, "Isabella!" he said rubbing her shoulders "You have to eat! Okay? Now if you talk all this rubbish about not eating without me I'm going to stop eating altogether alright?"  
  
"But…. John…. you didn't have breakfast either...did you?"   
  
"No…. but it's different for me…I'm a gardener…you're a princess"   
  
"Don't call me a princess!" Isabella stood up "It isn't my fault, I was cursed with this title!" "I'm sorry," John responded, he took her arms and sat her on the bed. "Okay, here" he took a scone and put it toward her mouth. She took a bite. It tasted so wonderful…like magic.  
  
"Now you" And Isabella too took a scone and gave him a bite out of it.  
  
They repeated the process until all the scones were gone.  
  
"I have to go now" John told her, and with that pecked Isabella on the cheek and climbed out of the window.  
  
Isabella smiled. Whenever she was with John she was happy. Something was wrong though. Was this how it was going to be forever? No. Things would change, but was the change going to be good? 


	3. Ella and Char

"Ella?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
Ella and Char were in the royal bedchamber getting ready to go to bed. Char was already in bed, Ella was in the small walk in closet, changing.  
  
"Do you think…Isabella is old enough to you know…."  
  
Ella walked out of the closet dressed in her bed gown "Get married?"   
  
"Yes"  
  
"Of course she is, she's probably met someone already." Ella was now brushing her hair  
  
"I don't think so…we would know." Char sat up tensely, Ella couldn't be serious.  
  
"No Char we wouldn't, Isabella wouldn't just fall in love and come and tell us." She replied getting into bed.  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"She's like me, that's what"  
  
Char hit her with a pillow.  
  
"That wasn't very nice!" Ella said sitting up and grabbing her pillow  
  
"I…. am not ni-" He couldn't finish his sentence because Ella whacked him hard with her own pillow.  
  
"Did that hurt?"  
  
"Well…I'm…uhh…. yes"   
  
Ella smiled   
  
"But when you start a war with King Charmond, he always wins"   
  
"That may be true your highness, however, Lady Ella does not get hurt so easily. Not by a pillow…ouch, okay that hurt"   
  
Before they knew it they were standing up on their bed and having a pillow war.  
  
"Char…why are we doing this?"  
  
"I don't know but we should stop before someone se-"  
  
The door opened and Isabella came in.  
  
"I'm sorry! Did I interrupt something? I should've knocked before coming in…" Isabella's voice kind of trailed of. Seeing her parents in this…this…way was shocking.  
  
"No…uh…come in sweetie," Ella replied getting of the bed and approaching her daughter "What is it?"  
  
"I just came to say goodnight, uh… Goodnight"  
  
"Goodnight darling" Char said still standing on the bed with his pillow raised  
  
"Goodnight" Ella said kissing Isabella's forehead  
  
Isabella closed the door and left 


	4. Secret Searching

There was a knock on Leonardo's door.  
  
"Who is it?" He asked  
  
"Who do you think?" Came Elizabeth's voice "Nobody in this world would waste their time with you, but since you're my twin I sometimes have to."  
  
"Come in"  
  
Elizabeth opened the door and came in, she was in a pink nightgown and pink slippers, and was holding the doll that Leonardo had stolen from her earlier.  
  
"Okay so why are you here?" Leonardo asked her  
  
"I think mother has a secret, a really big fat secret," Elizabeth told him sitting on his bed cross-legged   
  
"Are you serious?"   
  
"Yes"  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because, when mother said 'It's just a figure of speech Elizabeth' she didn't look me in the eye, and because her nose always flares when she tells a lie"  
  
"Yes, and before she said something about freedom when she was our age"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"It's about her past!" They both said at the same time  
  
"Who do we know from mother's family?" Elizabeth thought out loud  
  
"Mandy…?"  
  
"She's not family…she's just a friend… I think"  
  
They both stared at each other, they had never really though about their mother's family. All they knew was their grandmother had died a long time ago and their grandfather…. they knew nothing of their mother's father.   
  
"Okay so…what's the plan?" Leonardo questioned  
  
"The plan is…. I go to mother and you go to father and we ask them both a question, maybe two, but we ask the same questions. Then we compare the answers." Elizabeth replied  
  
"What would father know about mother's past?"  
  
Elizabeth smiled "More than you think"   
  
~*~  
  
"Mother?" Elizabeth called as she knocked on the room to her mother's little privacy room.  
  
"Come in, Elizabeth" Ella replied through the door  
  
"Mother, I was just wondering if we could have some girl, to girl talk," Elizabeth explained to Ella as she entered the room   
  
"Okay…" Her mother's response was quite confused  
  
"Mother, where did you and father meet?" Elizabeth asked in a curious way  
  
"Well…. honey…we met at…" Ella was trying to think of something, but what was the point of lying to her own daughter? "We met at my mother's funeral"  
  
"Oh…."  
  
There was silence, and then Elizabeth was able to say something again and said  
  
"Where did you two make the decision to get married?"  
  
"Umm…. he proposed to me in the palace garden…it was a garden party." After all, there was a limit to the truth  
  
"That must have been romantic..."   
  
"Yes it was..."  
  
~*~  
  
"Father?" Leonardo called loudly as he pounded on the door to Char's study  
  
"Come in Leonardo" Char answered back  
  
"Father," Leonardo said entering and clearing his throat "I think it's time we had that talk."  
  
Char rubbed his neck and started to sweat a little "Oh…. umm…I'll call your mother"  
  
"No!" Leonardo cried "Not that talk father!"  
  
"Oh," His father wiped his face a little, "good"  
  
"Father…where did you meet mother?"  
  
Char hesitated but then thought better than to lie to his son "We met at her mother's funeral, son"  
  
"Oh really, where did you and her make the decision to get married?"  
  
"Umm…A ball…it was a ball and we had so much fun, we decided to get married"   
  
"Okay, well, thank you father"  
  
Leonardo smiled and left the room. Leaving behind a very startled and confused Char. 


	5. Mandy

Mandy sighed as she mixed the ingredients of her famous vegetable stew; her fizzy, grey hair was in a bun. She was looking out the window, which was what made her sigh, well, not the window but what or actually who was outside the window. It was Jonathan Mantas one of the younger gardeners. He was plucking weeds right now. Anyway, Mandy sighed as she saw him because she could picture fresh love. Him and Isabella, her godchild.   
  
It was sweet. It was very sweet. Mandy had seen a lot of romance in her past, even Ella's but why did this one seem the most romantic?   
  
Mandy chuckled, Isabella and Jonathan thought they were having a completely secret relationship for two years, but after a week of their meetings Mandy had figured out what they were up to.   
  
Jonathan worked right in front of the kitchen, and always left at about 3:55, so they met at about 4:00 everyday. Isabella would come by to the kitchen at 3:45 and ask Mandy to make some food, scones, maybe cakes, sometimes cookies, etc.   
  
"Mandy?" came a voice  
  
"Yes?" Mandy called not taking her eyes of Jonathan.  
  
"Mandy" Somebody tapped her shoulder... she turned around. It was Ella.  
  
"Hello, Lady" Ella was always called 'Lady' by Mandy.  
  
"Mandy, can I talk to you?" Ella seemed concerned  
  
"Of course you can!"  
  
"Mandy, it's about Isabella. She's really growing up"  
  
"More than you know"  
  
"Pardon me?"  
  
"I said, 'It's a beautiful day you know'"  
  
"Right, well, Mandy I think she's hiding something from me!"  
  
Mandy smiled. Of course she wasn't going to ruin it for Isabella by telling her mother, but Ella was quite clever now that she was mother. She could tell when something was happening with her daughter.  
  
"Hiding something? From you?"  
  
"I know Mandy… I mean we were so close" Ella shuddered "Sometimes I wonder if she became that close with someone else, or worse closer"  
  
Mandy chuckled  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"Lady, you knew this was going to happen, why are you surprised?"  
  
"I know Mandy, but aren't all parents surprised?"  
  
"Yes. They are"  
  
"Why am I even saying this? I don't even know if Isabella has even found anybody yet" 


	6. The Plan

Elizabeth and Leonardo stared at each other. They had just compared the answers they had gotten from their parents. The first question had had the same answer but the replies for the second question were about as different as pie and soup.  
  
"Think!" Elizabeth muttered to herself as she paced the room "Think, think, think"  
  
Leonardo watched her as if she had lost sanity.  
  
"I've got it!" Elizabeth suddenly stopped "Why don't we ask around the town?"  
  
"Oh that's a great idea! We'll get caught and then not allowed to leave our rooms for the rest of eternity!"  
  
"No, no you thick headed, stupid, pea brain"   
  
Leonardo looked offended  
  
"We won't get caught, mother and father are going to some ball tonight we can sneak out then."  
  
"You mean when they're at the ball?"  
  
"YES!" 


	7. Preperation

Isabella and John were lying on the floor looking at the ceiling and talking.  
  
"…So is that how your father defeated the ogre?" Isabella said after listening to a story about how John's father was in a fight with an ogre  
  
"Yes" John replied as he turned to face her.  
  
'Your family is so interesting John, my parents have probably never even seen an ogre"  
  
"Oh I doubt that…your father might've had conflicts with them"  
  
"I suppose so…"  
  
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Isabella and John jumped up.   
  
"Isabella, honey can I come in?" Came her mother's voice from the other side of the door  
  
"No!" Isabella exclaimed  
  
"I beg your pardon"  
  
"I mean…. I'm changing, mother…hold on a moment please."  
  
"Where do I hide?" John whispered desperately  
  
"Under the bed" Isabella whispered back  
  
John tried to get under the bed but he couldn't  
  
"Hide in here!" Isabella said, grabbing him and stuffing him into her closet. "Come in mother"  
  
Ella stepped into the room.  
  
"Hello, sweetie"   
  
"Hello, mother"  
  
There was silence in which Ella studied the room.  
  
"What's this?" Ella asked picking up an empty bag with crumbs in it.  
  
"Oh that's a… umm…bag… which had cakes in it…I have a snack at this time of the day"  
  
"Oh"  
  
"Well, why don't you eat in the dining room?"  
  
"Ummm…. because...There's more privacy here…I need a lot of privacy to eat snacks"  
  
"Oh, okay"  
  
Silence again.  
  
"Well, honey," Ella broke the silence "You know me and your father were talking and we think it's about time you met someone. A boy"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, well, I don't know if you're ready yet but it's better to start of early"  
  
"So umm…"  
  
"Well, there's a ball tonight at the Orwoods' manor and would you like to come?"  
  
"Uhh…"  
  
"Quite frankly you're old enough…and it is quite fun actually"  
  
"Mother actually-"  
  
She was interrupted by John who was whispering the word go, she could see him through the little crack she had left open in her closet.  
  
"…Actually I'd love to go" She completed her sentence the way she had not originally intended.  
  
"Oh that's great!"  
  
"When is it?"  
  
"Well, we'll leave at seven"   
  
"Oh okay…now mother…I need to find a gown so I must ask you to leave"  
  
"Alright Isabella, and er…is there something in your closet because I could have swore I heard somebody in there."  
  
"No mothers, nobody's there…I think you need to take a little nap before the ball"  
  
"Yes. I'll do that"  
  
Ella hesitated then opened the door and left.  
  
John walked out of the closet holding one of Isabella's dresses. It was white with pink lace near the hem, which was rather high, and the top was sparkled with silver glitter.   
  
Isabella stared at him questioningly.  
  
"What? I found something for you to wear to the ball"  
  
"Why did you want me to go?" Isabella asked him in an angry voice  
  
"Because you never have any fun!" He replied going through Isabella's jewellery box.  
  
"John!" She protested angrily "I'm going to go to the ball, wear that dress, find a handsome knight, dance with him, and marry him! Is that what you want?"  
  
"Yes! That's what I want!"   
  
"I'm serious!"  
  
John stopped looking for matching jewellery and approached Isabella, took her by the arms and sat her down on the bed like he had many times before.  
  
"Isabella, I want you to be happy," He said sitting down next to her  
  
"I am happy, when I'm with you"  
  
"That's not what I mean, I want you to have fun"  
  
"But I do have fun, when you-"  
  
"Isabella!" He shook her lightly "Go to the ball, for me"  
  
"Alright, I'll go!"  
  
John gave her a long kiss. Then let her go.  
  
Isabella got up and picked up the dress he had picked for her.  
  
"But I am not wearing this!"   
  
"Yes you are!"  
  
"No! It shows too much legs and cleavage"  
  
"Come on!" He leaned toward her and his voice became quieter "It'll look sexy"  
  
"John!" Isabella scolded, lightly pushing him   
  
"Pleeeeease?"  
  
"Alright…. alright"  
  
John smiled  
  
"You make me do crazy things!" Isabella said irritably but she was smiling.  
  
"Okay so…put it on now"  
  
"Now?"  
  
"Yes…go in to your closet and change…I want to see you in this dress"  
  
"Why do I bother arguing? You win! I'll change even though we're not going to leave until seven and it's five!"  
  
Isabella grabbed the dress and marched into the walk-in closet that she had hid John in earlier. John laughed.  
  
It took Isabella 21 minutes to get into the dress. It was tight and hard to put on. The strange thing was that everybody wore these sorts of things. At least everybody her age, at the rare balls she had gone to, almost every other girl from the ages of 16-21 wore these kinds of clothes. Of course she preferred longer ones with full sleeves and more neck.  
  
Anyway, she walked out with a very strange feeling in her stomach. John stared at her as if all his dreams had come true.  
  
"You look beautiful!" He exclaimed  
  
"Yes, but when I'm wearing this some other man will be holding me, not you"  
  
"Yes, but I'll be the first" He kneeled down and raised his hand. "May I have the honour of this dance?"  
  
Isabella rolled her eyes, taking his hand, and they danced. For a long time. It was an interesting dance. Isabella liked slow sarabandes but John liked dances with lots of movement. So between the peaceful slow dance he would occasionally spin her and twist her and try all sorts of exotic moves. They were having so much fun that they lost track of time.  
  
As they danced Isabella glanced at the clock on her bedside table. 6:00. 6:00!  
  
"John! It's 6:00!"  
  
They stopped dancing.   
  
"I have to go!" He kissed her lightly on the lips and climbed out of the window.  
  
Isabella sighed pleasantly. John had done it again. Enchanted her life. Again.  
  
She walked to her full-length mirror and inspected herself. The dress, though tight looked nice. It fell a little below her knees. The sleeves were elbow length, and the neck was low. Isabella had never worn this before; she always wore her long gowns. She had gotten this as a gift for Christmas. She wasn't sure who had given it to her.  
  
Isabella tried to stretch it a little bit but it wouldn't stretch. She walked into the closet and looked for a pair of shoes to wear. In the end she chose the glass shoes that had belonged to her mother.   
  
They went with anything since they were transparent. Now for her hair. How to wear it… a bun would look nice. Then she could slip her tiara on to it.   
  
Isabella hated to wear her tiara or for that matter to show any signs of being royal or rich, but this time she made an acceptation because it was going to look really good with her dress.  
  
Making a bun was really hard! It took her very long to put the pins in the right places, to keep it straight and to make it perfect. When she was done she slipped her tiara on top of it and went to choose her jewellery.  
  
By the time she was ready it was 7:55.  
  
She walked as fast as she could with heals on to reach the bottom of the staircase. Her parents were already standing there ready.   
  
Char's mouth dropped open as he stared at Isabella. Ella elbowed him and he quickly closed it.  
  
"You look beautiful honey!" Ella said to her daughter.  
  
"Yes…umm...stunning..." Char avoided looking at the revealing parts and more to the beauty of his daughter. "So...umm…If we're all ready we should get going"  
  
"Wait!" Ella said, "I can't leave without saying goodnight to Liz and Leo!"  
  
Sometimes Ella called Elizabeth and Leonardo "Liz" and "Leo". She took a few steps up the staircase.  
  
"LIZ!" She called "LEO!"  
  
Elizabeth and Leonardo came running down the stairs.  
  
"Goodnight, sweeties!" Ella said kissing both their foreheads  
  
"G'night" Each of them said  
  
"Don't forget to go to bed on time, and take your baths"  
  
They both rolled their eyes  
  
"With soap.."  
  
They groaned.  
  
"...And water"  
  
Char took her elbow and dragged her out of the house.   
  
"Don't worry" He called to the twins "She says the same thing to me" 


	8. Caught!

"So we go out into the town now?" Leonardo asked Elizabeth  
  
"No, genius, we go and bake bread, of course we go out into the town now!" His sister snapped  
  
"So we just walk out?"  
  
"Yeah"  
  
They walked out of the palace and into the open air. It was cool out but the both of them had put on enough layers to stay warm.  
  
"Hello" Came a familiar voice which made them both jump, but when they turned around Mandy was standing there.  
  
"Many, we were just…" Elizabeth started  
  
"Going out into the town? Not on my watch you aren't"  
  
They both sighed, there was no point in arguing, she would always win!  
  
It took Mandy half-an-hour to make sure they both had their baths, put on their nightclothes, and get ready for bed.   
  
When they were both ready she had them both sit down in Elizabeth's bedroom so they could talk.  
  
"Why did you two want to go out into the town?" Mandy questioned  
  
"Because…we just wanted to explore a bit" Elizabeth replied earnestly  
  
"I thought we were going to find out about m-OUCH" Leonardo was interrupted by a kick on the shin from Elizabeth 


	9. The Ball

Char, Ella and Isabella walked in to the Orwood manor, where the ball was.   
  
Everybody bowed when they entered. At first Isabella was confused why, but then she remembered that her father was the king, and of course that would make her a princess.  
  
Her father bowed back, her mother gave a deep nod, and so she decided to courtesy.  
  
Soon everybody started dancing again, including her mother and father but Isabella took a seat.  
  
She watched people dance; her parents were dancing in a similar way to which she and John had danced.  
  
A boy about her age, with ash coloured eyes and dirty-blondish hair that looked very smooth asked her to dance.  
  
Usually she would have rejected the offer but John had wanted her to dance with somebody so she accepted.  
  
"My name is Nabáre," He told Isabella as they danced  
  
Nabáre was the son of one of an earl. He had a sense of humour too, Isabella kept laughing while talking to him. Everything he had to say was so interesting.  
  
The dance ended, Nabáre bowed, Isabella curtsied.  
  
They sat down, he asked her if she fancied anything to eat, she said no.   
  
"You're very interesting" Isabella told him truthfully  
  
"Thank you…but you have not mentioned anything about your life, all I know about you is that you're a princess"  
  
"Why must you know so much about me?"  
  
"I do not wish to know if you do not wish to tell me"  
  
She didn't say anything, just looked at him, he was quite handsome, but of course no competition with John.   
  
Nabáre continued, "We could be friends, so tell me, Princess Isabella, would you like to be my friend?"  
  
Not many people called her "Princess"; it felt strange to be called that.  
  
"We've only just met… friendship will not take its course until a little while," Isabella replied, she added "But you can call me Isabella, just Isabella"   
  
"In the mean while, Isabella, would you like to dance?" He asked  
  
She nodded, and they were of again.  
  
~*~  
  
"Char what is it?" Ella asked, as she looked at her husband whose mouth was hanging wide open. They were at the refreshment table.  
  
"That boy who Isabella's dancing with, he's pulling her closer to him!" Char told Ella not taking his eyes of his daughter and her dance partner.  
  
Ella rolled her eyes "We've been over this, Char, you have to learn to let go"  
  
He ignored her "I think I'm going to have to go there and pull them apart'"  
  
She stepped hard on his foot.  
  
"OW!"  
  
"I'm sorry but I think you deserved that"  
  
"I...I suppose I did"  
  
"Hello" Came an overly honeyed voice from behind them  
  
They turned to look at Ella's stepsister Hattie. Quickly Ella grabbed Char's arm to make sure he wouldn't do anything violent. "Behave," She murmured to him under her breath so only he could hear.  
  
"Lady Hattie, it's so nice to see…well...here you are" Char replied trying to stay polite.  
  
"It feels so good to see you again" Hattie said waiting for an answer when nobody answered she continued, "Ella what a charming necklace you have on, I remember, it used to belong to me"  
  
Ella suddenly let go of Char's arm wishing he would do something violent "It was never yours, actually, you stole it from me"  
  
Hattie started to say something but thought better and swallowed. "Good day" She muttered walking away.  
  
"Let's just enjoy the rest of the evening" Ella said to Char  
  
"Yes... lets"  
  
They stared at the food in front of them in silence, pixie rice, quail eggs, beef songosas, goose tarts, lemon-and-berry sauce… neither of them said anything.  
  
"Ella," Char broke the silence, "I haven't told you this in quite a time…that… I love you"  
  
Ella smiled, looking up at him and put her head on his shoulder, he put his arm around her. 


	10. Royal Siblings

A/N Hey everybody... sorry I haven't updated in a while..and I think it will take some time until I update again...sorry!! Thankyou babyjayy and SiriusObsession for your compliments...and all you other people please review!! I need feedback!  
  
~*~  
  
Elizabeth tried to sleep but there a continuous knock on her door. After she realized that there was no use ignoring it she glanced at the clock (1:00) and went to answer it. Her older sister Isabella was standing outside in her nightclothes.  
  
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked in an annoyed voice  
  
"I need to talk to you Liz" Isabella said pleadingly  
  
Elizabeth groaned but let her in.  
  
"Fine we can talk but quickly!"  
  
"Thank you!" Isabella walked across the room and sat down on Elizabeth's bed. "Okay Liz… I think that mother and father want me to get married"  
  
"Just marry John," Her sister said yawning.  
  
"It's not that simple!"  
  
"Yes it is!"  
  
"No it isn't… okay but here is the real problem…at the ball I met a boy called Nabáre, and I danced with him and perhaps mother and father might think that I want to marry him?"  
  
"Why did you dance with him?"  
  
"Because... John told me to" Isabella curled her hair guiltily  
  
"And you listened to hi-"  
  
They heard a cough outside. Isabella and Elizabeth looked at each other someone was outside. They rushed to the door.  
  
"Hello" Leonardo's defeated voice came from the darkness  
  
"Leo how much did you hear?" Isabella questioned crossly  
  
"John told you to dance with him" Leonardo quoted "Who is John…oh wait I remember now…it's the name of that heroic gardener who once saved my pet bunny from a fatal death… Oh … you don't mean that you and him…"  
  
Elizabeth snorted, "You have a pet bunny?"  
  
"Elizabeth!" Isabella scolded, "That's not the important thing!"  
  
Leonardo smirked for once he was the one who had discovered a delicious secret.  
  
"Leo you can't tell anyone!" Isabella pleaded  
  
It took 31 seconds to convince Leonardo not to tell anyone, Isabella bribed him with five bags full of Mandy's March Pane.   
  
After he agreed not to tell anyone the three of them went into Elizabeth's room and practically collapsed into the shores of sleep. 


	11. Good Morning!

A/N - Hiya!! Thankyou Pennithil and SiriusObsession for all your support!! So yes. I promise more Char and Ella romance!!  
  
Ella and Char walked into the room of their daughter Elizabeth to discover the three of their children dozing.   
  
Elizabeth and Isabella had squeezed on the bed, by the looks of it they had managed to push Leonardo off.  
  
"Aww…Char!" Ella exclaimed "Do they not look lovely together?"  
  
"It seems like it was only yesterday when they were babies" Char wiped a tear before Ella could see it.  
  
"It's so sweet!"   
  
"Yes…"   
  
"Well, we'd better wake them up.."  
  
There was a pause  
  
"GOOD MORNING!" Ella called loudly "Fine weather, you don't want to miss the sunshine do you?"  
  
Isabella blinked then got up, her brother and sister followed.   
  
"Motheeeer" Leonardo stretched the word.  
  
"Up, up, up!"  
  
It took fifteen minutes for the three of them to get dressed and go downstairs for breakfast.   
  
Isabella had just about finished her breakfast (a piece of cinnamon-nut bread) when she saw Nabáre. He was standing right there joking around with some of the knights who were waiting for a meeting. Could he be a knight? He never mentioned anything about being a knight, and his father was a well-respected earl. No it wasn't possible Nabáre could not be a knight.   
  
"I am training to become a knight" Nabáre explained to Isabella after she enquired to as of his presence.  
  
"I see…because I thought that you were…" Isabella's voice trailed of slightly, she cleared her throat and made her voice more formal "Anyhow, my apologies. Good day Sir Nabáre"   
  
She turned and started to turn but he caught her hand.  
  
"By the way I asked you a question yesterday that you did not answer, are we friends?"  
  
Isabella smiled and pulled her hand back. "Yes. I suppose we are"  
  
She started to walk off again but after a few steps somebody caught her hand again. "Nabár-"It was her father. "Father!"  
  
"Isabella…honey…who was that?" She could tell that he was trying to sound as unconcerned as possible.  
  
"That was Nabáre father"   
  
"Who is Nabáre"  
  
"Just somebody who I met at the Ball last night. Father don't you need to guide the meeting now?"  
  
"Yes…they can wait…you met him a the ball?"  
  
"Yes" It took all of her brief training at finishing school to keep her eyes from rolling.  
  
By now most of the knights had started calling for him to start the meeting. Char let go of her hand, muttered something about not getting too close with men and went in to the meeting-hall.  
  
"Isabella what was that about?" Elizabeth's voice came  
  
"Nothing Liz, just father telling me not to get too close to Nabáre"  
  
Elizabeth giggled "Wait 'till he sees John!"  
  
"Shush!" Isabella said then rushed to her sister "Don't be so loud about that!"   
  
"Father's at the meeting and mother is upstairs somewhere talking to grandma probably about how you should get married, and they are the only people who don't know about you and John's…er…relationship"  
  
"What do you mean!"   
  
"Everybody who matters know except for mother and father" She paused "And grandfather"  
  
"How?"  
  
"Well, you told me, Leonardo eavesdropped and found out as of yesterday. Mandy, you know her, she finds out everything so she knows. Our serving maid, Nina, saw you him in your room. Aunt Cecilia saw him kiss you on the cheek, she told grandma and half of the royal servant population have seen you kissing in the lawns."  
  
"Aunt Cecilia, grandma and Mandy know!"  
  
"Of course! Didn't you know that?" Elizabeth gave her sister a look of faked disbelief   
  
Isabella gaped at her sister. 


	12. Happenings

A/N: Okay yes my computer was broken, I'm really sorry for the no updating thing!Thankyou! Thanyou,babyjayy, Elitch, kaden, jessica, jeff, Janellezzz, robert, ElvenYoukai and michael . Also SiriusObsession (FluffyObsession) whose reviews for somereason aren't on the review page...hmmm I'm going to phone her to find out! This chapter is very special since most of the plot will start working out now! Ooh BTW about the Char/Ella romance promise, i think I might have to take it back but lots of John/Isabella! Okay so anyway here is Chapter 12 (finally!):  
  
Isabella walked out of the palace silently, and inhaled the sweet autumn air.   
  
Walking silently over dry leaves she followed the long fence to the back. Not much, some trees, a few bushes, neatly cut grass and more leaves. She walked on looking for a place to just sit and think. After some more desperate walking she finally came across a large tree with two swings hanging from a huge branch. Perfect.   
  
Isabella brushed of golden leaves and sat down on one of the swings. She started to gently swing herself, steadily increasing her speed.  
  
The swinging helped her. When at last her feelings seemed to have been sorted out she slowed down and started to sway herself to and fro on the swing.   
  
"Isabella?"Came a familiar voice "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Aunty Cecilia!"  
  
Cecilia was Char's younger sister by two years. She was tall, as was most of Char's family, she had smoothe light brown hair and many freckles. Although, a lot of men in Kyrria said she was the most beautiful woman in the whole kingdom, Cecilia never married.  
  
She took the swing next to Isabella "Thinking?"  
  
Isabella nodded  
  
"About John?"  
  
"Aunty I can't believe you knew and you never told me so! I found out from Elizabeth!"  
  
"Of course I knew sweetie,I know everything!" Cecilia started to swing "Fine boy he is too, but you could have waited until I had a prince charming!"   
  
Isabella laughed  
  
"Is this not a great place for thinking, Isabella? I used to come here to think all the time, oh wait, I still do..."  
  
"Yes, it is nice"  
  
Isabella and Cecilia sat there and talked for it must have been hours but it was only twenty minutes. It is rather surprising how much you can talk in tweny minutes.  
  
"I think we'd better head home now,"Cecilia said finally "it's almost time for lunch."  
  
"Yes let's go..." Isabella got off the swing "Oh my!"  
  
She put a hand on her stomach. It was a strange sensation, constant yet not quite irritating.   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
"Nothing...I..I think"  
  
It took them about five minutes to reach the palace where they seperated, Cecilia went upstairs to talk to Daria, Isabella's grandmother and Isabella went to the kitchen to get something to eat.  
  
"Hello, Mandy!" She said as she walked into the kitchen happily-for some reason she was happy now.  
  
"Hello, sweet!" Mandy replied, she was was cooking something delicous by the smells of it. "I'll be right with you!"  
  
After adding a few spices to the pot on the stove Mandy put on the top and turned to Isabella "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Mandy,is there anything to eat?"   
  
"There are dinner rolls in that basket..." She pointed to a redish greenish woven basket.   
  
"Perfect!"  
  
"Just eat one dear...they're for lunch, which is soon..."  
  
Isabella walked over to the basket it was near the tub wear Mandy usually washed the dishes, and that was right in front of the window and outside the window Isabella saw...  
  
"John!" she said under her breath but Mandy heard.  
  
"Yes, he works right here, everday...hmmm he seems a bit tired today."  
  
"Yes, yes he does..." Isabella gasped as John turned around to reveal an exhasted, sweaty face "Mandy, he's starved!"  
  
She rushed out of the small kitchen door "John!" She exclaimed as she hurried towards him"  
  
"Isabella?"  
  
"John, come into the kitched you're so tired and you look so hungry!"  
  
"But-" before he could finish his sentence Isabella had grabbed onto his sleeve and pulled him into the direction of the kitchen.   
  
As John sat down on an oak chair and Mandy handed him a bowl of stew...  
  
"Mandy!" Ella walked into the kitchen "Mandy how long is it until lu-" She noticed John "Who..who is this?"  
  
"He's the gardener who works outside and he was exhasted almost about to faint!" Mandy answered  
  
"Oh, oh really? I'm so sorry to ehar that! What happen-"  
  
"Ella! Where are you, Ella?" Char walked into the kitchen, he noticed John faster then Ella had "Did I miss something?"  
  
"Char, the poor lad, her was in the garden gardening and he almost fainted!" Ella said looking sympathaticaly at John.  
  
"My word!" Char said "He looks starved!"  
  
"He didn't eat breakfast probably, or supper...He probably isn't making enough living! Do something about it Ch-"  
  
"Begging pardon, your highness-" John started  
  
"I think you mean lady, dear" Ella inturrupted  
  
"Right, lady, it was nothing like that, I just didn't have enough food in the house so I let my younger sister Anna eat what was left. She is only nine."  
  
"What about your mother and father? That is if you don't mind me asking..." Char said  
  
"They deserted them five years ago-" Isabella said before she could stop herself "...As Mandy was just telling me." That was close   
  
"Oh my!" Ella exclaimed  
  
There was silence.  
  
"Well, you must have lunch with us, and after that you can go fetch your sister and spend a couple of nights here." Char said   
  
"Your majesty...I...I'm speechless!"  
  
"Is it convinient?"  
  
"Yes...it is...but I couldn't..."  
  
"Nonsense...now tell me...where is this young Anna?"  
  
"She's with my friend he works at the stables, when he isn't working he takes care of Anna."  
  
"I see...."  
  
Isabella didn't hear anything else all she understood was that John was going to live at the palace, even if it was temporarily. This was bad, they couldn't possibly keep the secret a secret any longer. They wouldn't be able to. They wouldn't be able to resisist. And...and...and...there was the sensation in her stomach again. It was too much she couldn't take it, she fainted.  
  
Ending remarks: Mysterious huh? Or do you get it? Okay so review! Chapter 13 won't be up until I get reviews! 


	13. Father? Baby?

A/N: Chapter 13 is here!!! Yaaaay! Okay I have a short announcement and it is that I am bored of this story, I mean the story has started getting interesting and everything but I've just been working on it for so long that I no longer want to but I will finish it, just thought you might like to know that I have become bored of it. Anyway, thankyou: ElvenYoukai   
  
(that is SiriusObsession's new ID), Gayle (I don't know how Ella and Char will take it, I haven't had any ideas but if you do...by all means!), and Tamaran Girl (thankyou for pointing out the mistake, I think I put in that she didn't want to but I don't remember I'll check. Elizabeth and Leonardo are 10). Okay special thanks to Gayle who helped me out with a certain dialogue in this chapter and thanks to ElvenYoukai she helped me with a certain description in the previous chapter and overall helped me with the plot. Whew! So take care y'all! Here is chapter 13:   
  
Chapter 13:  
  
Ella watched as the gardener lifted up Isabella. She had fainted in the kitchen. Nobody really understood why. Char had tried to carry herbut as Ella had repeatedly tried to explain it to him (he still didn't believe her) he had grown too old to carry a seventeen year old girl.The gardener John who was in the kitchen at the time had offered to carry her to her bed chamber. "No dear you're tired yourself." Ella had said conserningly but he said that he was the only person in the room who could.   
  
So here he was carrying her daughter through the hall and up the stair case. His strong arms holding her steadily. She and Char walked behind him holding hands. Char looked as worried as she was.  
  
They reached the bed chamber. Some how, he had known exactly where to go before Char had given the direction, or was she just imagining. Anyway, John laid Isabella's unconscious body down on the bed.   
  
"What could have happened Char?" Ella asked, tears of worry dropping from her eyes.   
  
"I don't know" He replied "It could be a number of things; lack of sleep, food, stress, I wish I knew exactly what."  
  
John cleared his throat slightly   
  
"Oh umm...we are very grateful for your contribution in our time of need." Char said formally to him "You may go downstairs and eat, I think that we have quite lost our appetites, I believe that the younger prince and princess will join you soon."  
  
John nodded and went out of the room, shutting the door behind him.   
  
Ella watched the form of her daughter. Tears started to pour out of her eyes. "Char this is just like...like...mother"  
  
Char put his arms around her and gave her a hug. She sobbed on his shoulder.   
  
"It isn't anything bad, I promise you"   
  
Before she could say that he could not promise that there was a knock on the door.   
  
"Come in!" Char said, his voice suddenly becoming more formal again.  
  
A nurse entered with wet towels, Ella walked over and held her daughter's hand.  
  
There was another knock.  
  
"Yes?" Ella said as she opened the door.   
  
" Lady, there is a man who wishes to see you now." said a young maid.  
  
"Tell him to wait, I need to stay with Isabella."   
  
"He insists on seeing you, he says it's urgent."  
  
"What is his name?"  
  
"He didn't say..."  
  
"Ella," Char's hand was on her shoulder "I think we had better go and see who it is."  
  
"No, Char-"  
  
"Yes, I know, but there is a nurse with her and a physician will be there shortly we will only distract them"  
  
"I suppose you're right."  
  
Ella and Char walked into the parlour to greet the person who had requested to se them.  
  
They both gaped as the figure stood up.  
  
"Father?" Ella's mouth was hanging open.  
  
"Sir Peter?" Char suddenly forgot to be polite and mannered  
  
"Ella, my child, how good to see you!" Peter started to walk toward them "And your highness, a pleasure."  
  
He shook Char's hand and leaned in to hug Ella but she held him back.  
  
"After twenty years why are you here now?" She asked him coldly  
  
"You didn't come to the wedding, to say hello, you never wrote, or congradulated us on the childeren."  
  
"Ella, I'm a busy man-"  
  
"In twenty years you couldn't use up five minutes for your own daughter?"  
  
"You must understand-"  
  
"I understand, you want money, or something, I know you did not come for me. You never loved me, you hated me, you never loved my mother either, you married her because she was wealthy."  
  
"I have never heard you speak like this before Ellaneor..."  
  
"I never had the courage to stand up to you before but now I do, I am not cursed anymore, I am married now, I have given birth to three childeren, raised three childeren and everyday I have to face over a thousand issues. I am not a little girl anymore, I am a woman."  
  
"Ella will you please listen to me?"  
  
"Let him speak, honey" Char said  
  
"Fine. Speak." She was cold again.  
  
"Ella, I am a poor man, my second wife has died. My stepdaughters left me and my daughter was no longer there. I have no where to go. I am too old to be a merchant. I beg of you to let me reside with you here."  
  
Ella stared at her father, she was no longer cold but she still had not been fooled by him. However, he was right, he was old. He couldn't travel any more, and after all he was the one who had earned enough money for her to be raised properly.  
  
"Excuse us," Ella said "Please help yourself to food, in the room next door."  
  
They went to a corner of the room.  
  
"What do you think Char? I mean he is elderley."  
  
"Yes, why not, we have enough room for him. And it will be good for the childeren to learn about their grandfather."  
  
"Alright then."  
  
They went back to Peter, who had not moved from the place he was standing before.  
  
"You can live here with us father." Ella said  
  
"Thankyou. Thankyou very much!" He shook Char's hand excitedly "Now... may I meet my grandchilderen?"  
  
"Well, Isabella, she's my eldest daughter, is not well, I'll ask someone to fetch the twins."  
  
"I'll get them" Char offered and left the room.  
  
"Well, then..." Ella looked around "Why don't we...uh.... sit?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
They sat down on a green sofa that was close by.  
  
"Ella, you have grown to be a beautiful woman, you look just like your mother." He said.  
  
"Thankyou" Ella replied  
  
There was silence.  
  
"I am very grateful that you're letting me live with you..."  
  
"It's a pleasu- I mean it's no problem at all."  
  
Silence again. Suddenly Char entered closesly followed by, Leonardo and Elizabeth.  
  
"Well, who do we have here?" Peter asked looking at Elizabeth and Leonardo.  
  
Him and Ella got up"This is Leonardo," she put a hand on Leonardo's shoulder "and this is Elizabeth" she put her other hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.  
  
"And this is your grandfather." She motioned to Peter.  
  
"Pleasure." Peter ruffled Leonardo's hair and patted Elizabeth's head.  
  
"Is this your father?" Elizabeth asked Ella  
  
"Yes, sweetie"   
  
"Why have we not met him before?" Leonardo inquired  
  
"Well, uh...um...er" Ella stamered "You wouldn't understand....it's...er...complicated."  
  
"Try me, mother." Elizabeth said  
  
"Don't you two have work from your tutour that you should be finishing?" Char tried to save the day.  
  
"No." They answered plainly  
  
"Well, maybe you should go check on your sister. She isn't well, and it would mean a lot to her to have her brother and sister there." Char tried again.  
  
"She still hasn't woken up, father" Leonardo replied.  
  
Char sighed.  
  
"Leo why do you have dirt all over you?" Ella had just noticed the brown mud that covered Leonardo's trousers and doublet. "Has Liz been trying to teach you to ride again? How many times do I have to tell you two not to go to the stables by yourselves?"  
  
"But mother! Elizabeth knows how to ride better than me and she's a girl! I'm going to be king someday and my sister rides better than me!" Leonardo complained.  
  
"Leonardo I do not want to hear you speak like this again! I tame ogres much better than your father, but does he ever complain? No! He accepts that sometimes people can do things better than him. That is what makes him a fine king!"  
  
"Honey, that was quite a bit of time ago. I think I've come to be a much better tamer now." Char tried to defend himself.  
  
Ella stifled a laugh, "Sweetheart, I have seen you."  
  
The family had forgotten that Peter was in the room.   
  
"Really, father, mother can tame ogres better than you?" Leonardo's eyes were wide open.  
  
"How many ogres can you tame at a time, mother?" Elizabeth wanted to know.  
  
"That is not the point!" Ella said exasperatedly "Although, just to let you know it was an entire army."  
  
"And who tied them up and gagged them?" Char asked a little to emotionally.  
  
"Can we talk about this late Char?" Ella was really exasperated now.  
  
"Should I leave? I can see this is a somewhat bad time." Peter finally spoke.   
  
"Sir Peter! We appologise-" Char started but he was interupted by a knock. They all turned around to see one of the man servants in the enterance.   
  
"Your Majesty, the princess has woken up." He said  
  
"She's awake!" Ella exclaimed and ran out of the room.  
  
She threw open the door of Isabella's room without knocking.  
  
Mandy was sitting by her side, Isabella looked pale and their was a look of half confusion and half horror on her face.  
  
"What's wrong, dear?" Ella asked concerningly "You'll be fine, I promise you."  
  
Isabella didn't do anything, she just glanced at Mandy.  
  
"Have you been telling her ghost stories Mandy?" She paused, then chuckled at her own joke.  
  
Isabella laughed nervously "No, mother Mandy was just telling me something and now I think I need to rest-" Unfortunately her sentenced was not completed because she threw up.  
  
The nurse who was mixing some medicine in a corner quickly wisked away the covers. Just as Char, Elizabeth and Leonardo entered the room.  
  
"How're you feeling?" Char asked as he sat next to his daughter.  
  
"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked  
  
"I'm better" Isabella replied solemnly."But, I think I need to rest. I might take a nap."  
  
"We understand." Ella said "We'll leave, but if you need anything just ask for someone to being us, okay?"  
  
"Alright mother."  
  
Everbody left except for Mandy, and (of course) Isabella.   
  
"Mandy!" Isabella exclaimed a bit too loudly as soon as it was clear that everybody else was out of earshot. "How can you say I am going to have a baby? It's absurd! It is not possible!"  
  
"Oh sweet! You made it possible!"  
  
"But Mandy!"  
  
"There is nothing that can be done about it now. You can only tell your parents about John and of course the baby."  
  
"But Mandy you're my fairy god mother!"  
  
"I only do small magic, remember dear?"  
  
Isabella stared at Mandy she wasn't sure how she felt about the news that she got.  
  
"I think you need some rest, dear" Mandy said finally "I'll leave now."  
  
Mandy got up, and she too left the room. 


	14. Anna and Nabare

A/N: Okay so yes now Sir. Peter is in the scene and everything. In this chapter I'm oing back to Leonardo and Elizabeth for a bit. I apologize for spelling and grammar mistakes. I will go through the spell check with this chapy. Anyway, my thanks to: Lady Emma, Raina (lol), Gayle (not a good role model, I agree), ElvenYoukai (I told you so, and I won't abandon the story, don't you worry), and of course Rebecca (I am so sorry, your review wasn't up when I updated. sorry!). Thank you everybody for your awesome reviews, here is chapter 14 (which is gonna be very short):  
  
"Now that we've met grandfather we shouldn't have to go find out more about mothers past" Leonardo said suddenly.  
  
"We still don't know her secret, you idiot! That was our goal!" Elizabeth snapped. It was the next morning, they were currently in the royal garden, where they had their books open and were working on their English writing work which they were told by their tutor to have finished by the next class.  
  
"Why don't we just be good children and not nose in to our mother's private affairs. She can tell us when she's ready."  
  
"You're just scared."  
  
"I am not scared!"  
  
"Leonardo, you're a big baby!"  
  
"No, I am two minutes older than you, so you are the big baby!"  
  
Elizabeth sighed as she dipped her quill in the inkbottle and wrote down another sentence in her essay. They were both supposed to write a 1,000-word essay on their family.  
  
"Who are you writing about now?" Leonardo asked her, he was red in the face from the argument. For some reason, he always had trouble running arguments.  
  
"You."  
  
"I hope that they're nice things."  
  
"I hope that one day you won't be my brother. Just because we hope doesn't mean anything really happens."   
  
They stopped talking once more. Leonardo frowned and crossed something out from his essay and wrote a few words very fast over it.  
  
"Hello!" Came a voice from above them.  
  
They looked up to see a girl who couldn't have been much older than nine. She had black hair that reached her elbows and sky blue eyes.   
  
"Hello...I haven't seen you before." Elizabeth said.  
  
"My name is Anna. My brother John was invited to live here by the king." The little girl said in her soft, small voice.  
  
"John! I know him!" Elizabeth said "He has an affair with my sister, Isabella."  
  
"Isabella?" The little girl thought for a second, then said "Oh yes, she is my brother's friend."  
  
Elizabeth snorted. "They're more than just friends"  
  
Anna giggled "Yes, I know, John always says that she is his friend and that she only comes to our house to help him make his bed but I saw them kissing once."  
  
"Help him make his bed?"  
  
"That's what he said they do in there, she mustn't know it that well either because they take an awfully long time."  
  
"Do you see them making it?"  
  
"No, the door is always closed."  
  
The two of them shrugged. Anna sat down beside Isabella; it was then that they both noticed that Leonardo was staring at them.  
  
"Leonardo what's wrong with you?" Elizabeth gave him a slight shake. "Say hello to Anna."  
  
"H...h...hello" He stuttered.  
  
"How do you do?" Anna replied.  
  
Leonardo blushed and looked down at his work.  
  
"Interesting...." Elizabeth's eyebrow was raised.   
  
"So what's your name?" Anna asked  
  
"Elizabeth"  
  
"That's a nice name. I like it."  
  
"You can call me Liz if you like."  
  
"Liz...alright."  
  
"So, about the bed making... how often does it happen?"  
  
"Oh it used to happen a lot but it has not happened recently."  
  
"You've never sneaked in to see?"   
  
"Yes...I did once." Anna giggled again "I'll tell you what I saw, but not here can we go somewhere else?"  
  
Elizabeth nodded and the two giggling girls skipped away to somewhere else, leaving poor Leonardo alone on the grass to finish his essay.  
  
No, he couldn't possibly finish it now. He closed his books, picked the things up and started back to the palace.   
  
As he entered he saw his grandfather sitting on a chair in the dining room writing something. He must have felt Leonardo's stares because he suddenly looked up, quickly closed the notebook he was writing in and smiled at Leonardo. He didn't smile back just walked on.  
  
Upstairs, in his room he dumped the load of things he had held on the bed and ran out. In the hall he ran into John.  
  
"Sorry." Leonardo mumbled.  
  
John bowed "I am the one who needs to apologize, highness"  
  
"Yes, of course. I have never seen you bow to Isabella, at least not when you're kissing her."  
  
"You know about...about...er us?" John blushed.  
  
Leonardo nodded.  
  
John walked away, a bright colour of red covering his face. He was of course going to Isabella's bedroom.  
  
With each step his speed increased, until he finally reached his beloved's room. He opened the door quietly and stepped inside.  
  
"John!" Isabella jerked up "We need to talk!"  
  
"Isabella, don't say anything. I know what you are thinking."  
  
"No, John. You don-"  
  
"In order for us to keep our relationship secret and in order for us to er... stay sane we must not meet again during my stay."  
  
"But-"  
  
"I am sorry, but we have no choice."  
  
"Listen-"  
  
"I have to go now, sweetheart, I'm sorry!"   
  
"But Jo-"  
  
"I love you!"  
  
He quickly left the room. Isabella let herself fall back on the bed. The man whose child she bore was not the least bit interested in what she had to say. Acid-like tears came out of her eyes and rolled down her face. Before she knew it, she was weeping into her pillow.  
  
There was a knock on the door. Isabella quickly wiped of the tears.  
  
"Come in!" She called.  
  
The door was opened gently and the person slid in.  
  
"Nabare?"   
  
"Hello, Isabella."  
  
"Hello..."  
  
He was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers, red and violet. He put it on her bedside and sat down on the wooden chair.  
  
"Isabella I think I need to tell you this now.... I know that it might be a bit too early but..."  
  
"Nabare please stop. I do not have any romantic feelings for you."  
  
He blushed deeply "Oh...oh my.... I think that...well, may I ask why?"  
  
"I am so sorry Nabare! I just.... I love somebody else."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"John, he is a gardener in the palace.... And we have been seeing each other for about two years. I am so sorry!"  
  
"No, it...it really is not your fault you should not apologize!"  
  
"I am so glad you understand. I knew that you would."  
  
"Of course, I understand. But I need not be selfish right now. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I feel fine...actually the truth is..."  
  
Isabella paused, no she would not tell him. John didn't know, and until he didn't, nobody else would.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I...um...have been fine for hours I just need rest now."  
  
"Oh than I shall leave you."  
  
"You do not have to."  
  
"Yes, I do, actually I have a meeting with the knights right now. I thought I would come in and give you your flowers."  
  
"Then goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye, Isabella," He bowed " I hope you feel better soon."  
  
She smiled at him, he smiled back then he left. Poor Nabare, poor, poor Nabare. Heartbreaks were never easy on anyone. She had just broken a heart; of course John had sort of broken her heart. John. John had changed her life in every way. He had made her tell lies, a lie over lie. He had made her do things her parents had never wanted her to do, and now he was going to make her a mother soon.   
  
A mother. That did not sound right. It seemed her childhood had been just yesterday. Everything was happening too fast. It just was not right. No, she couldn't think about this now, she was far too tired, her unborn child had kept her awake all night, she must have thrown up ten times. "I should go to sleep now," She thought, and patted her stomach "you should rest too, savour your time in the world of no woes."   
  
What was she thinking, that was the first thought that came to her before going to sleep, having a child was going to be wonderful.  
  
Ending Remarks: Yeah right! :P 


	15. Nightly Disturbances

A/N: This Chapter is dedicated to EllaFreak, happy birthday! Your birthday is just two days earlier then my dad's! And thank you so much, EllaFreak, for the compliments I am blushing really hard right now! Also thank you to: Gayle (you'll find out soon what he wrote. wink lol) ElvenYoukai (maybe it'll surprise you as to what will happen next.) I have another announcement: I HATE NABARE!! I just do, I'm sorry but I do. Once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLAFREAK!!!! I hope y'all like Chapter 15:  
  
Chapter 15:  
  
Isabella blinked and looked around, she could swear there had been some sort of noise. It was pretty dark; she glanced at the clock 1:30. Well, she wasn't sleepy, and, couldn't go back to sleep now.   
  
"Maybe I should go out for a walk," She thought "I have been looking forward to getting out of this bed for hours."  
  
Soon she was in a dressing gown and walking in the dark hall. It was dark, wishing she had brought a candle Isabella wandered into the dining room. Oh, there was a candle glowing here. Who could it possibly be?  
  
She went in closer and saw the back of a man. A man? No, it wasn't her father or her grandfather. The man suddenly turned around. By the shock of the stranger's face Isabella screamed, very loudly. The man screamed too, apparently he was surprised too.  
  
There was a bang in the distance, silence, the sound of hurried footsteps, another bang and then more footsteps. Soon Ella and Char were at the entrance. Ella looked exasperated, Char looked confused and he was red in the face.  
  
"What is going on here?" Ella asked   
  
"Th-there is a strange man in our dining room!"  
  
"Oh! I should have introduced you two! This is my father Isabella and father this is my eldest daughter, Isabella"  
  
"P-pleasure" Peter started, he put out his hand.  
  
Isabella blushed, but shook hands with him.  
  
"Now, please do not scream like that ever again, you caused your father to fall of the bed, and then bang into a wall on our way here." Ella scolded  
  
"I apologize."  
  
"Ella, are you telling them that I am not able to manage myself?" Char asked Ella in an emotional tone of voice.  
  
"No, of course not! What are you talking about! Is it the ogre thing again?"  
  
"I never imagined there would be two 'things' but now there are!"  
  
"Goodnight father, Isabella, you rest now honey, I think your father needs to rest to."  
  
"So now you're saying that I can not tell when or when not I need to rest!"  
  
Three eyebrows were raised at Char for his ridiculous comment, Ella put an arm around his shoulders and led him out of the dining room saying "Char, you just get some rest and everything will be better in the morning. Mandy is going to make pancakes for breakfast."  
  
"Is breakfast time soon?" Char put his head on his wife's shoulder childishly.  
  
As soon as they were out of the room. Sir Peter cleared his throat.   
  
"So, Isabella," He said "I am afraid our first impression has not been very...er...good."  
  
Isabella nodded, still to embarrassed to speak.   
  
"Would you like to go for a walk, maybe?"   
  
"A walk?" She finally spoke "I am not dressed right."  
  
"It really does not matter, it is pretty dark."  
  
"I suppose it would be nice." She said finally, although, it was odd for somebody to offer you to go for a walk at 1:30 in the morning. But she really did wish to go out in the open once again. She patted her stomach; the constant sensation was a bit irritating now.  
  
Not long after Isabella found herself outside with her hand in a man's hand who was supposedly her grandfather but she had never met him before. All this had happened within 45 hours from the time she had found out that she was going to be a mother soon, between that time and this she had also broken a heart and her child's father had practically ignored her. Her life was full of changes.  
  
They walked in silence. How in the world was this supposed to improve their relationship? Why was her grandfather bringing his notebook and....  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"Where ever our feet take us." Peter smiled.  
  
It didn't seem like random walking because Peter seemed to know where he was going.   
  
After a bit more walking the series of events that followed happened very fast.   
  
They reached a sort of deserted barn; her grandfather pulled her into the darkness. Some sort of gas was sprayed and Isabella, for the second time in two days, fainted.  
  
Isabella opened her eyes and looked around, she was in a barn. It was dark but there was light in the distance. Two people surrounded it, but they had their backsides facing her. Remembering what had happened she tried to get up, but noticed that her hands and feet were bound to the wooden plank she was lying on. She began to yell.  
  
"GRANDFATHER ARE YOU HERE!!! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!!! WHERE ARE YOU?? WHERE AM I??? WHEN MY PARENTS FIND OUT YOU WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD CHOPPED OFF!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?!"   
  
"Yes, you are Princess Isabella, or should I say Isabella since you prefer if I do." came a familiar voice and one of the figures turned around.   
  
"Nabare?"  
  
"That is the name my parents gave me."  
  
"What is going on?" She forgot to be angry in her confusion.  
  
He walked closer and kneeled down next to her.   
  
"That is simple, your grandfather brought you here so that I could have my revenge."  
  
"Revenge for what?"  
  
"All my life I have wanted to be king, and you crushed that dream just as soon as I got close to achieving it."  
  
"But what does grandfather have to do with it, we just met, and I only told you not long ago, and...and..."  
  
"Yes, as soon as I left your room in rage I met your grandfather, he is a great friend of mine, and so I offered him money in return for you.   
  
"What?! It was a coincidence that me and him met tonight!"  
  
"You are seriously that naive? Who do you think woke you up?"  
  
"But...how did you know where I was going?"  
  
"I have a gift...you could say...of knowing things...I know about little things that will happen, never extremely big events short scenes, visions, you could say...I saw you entering the dining room in the palace."  
  
Tears poured down Isabella's face. How could he? How could they? How could anybody be so cruel?  
  
Nabare got up and approached Peter.  
  
"Do you have all the papers in order?" He asked him  
  
"Yes I do, the money. The money now!"  
  
"Very well" Isabella heard Nabare say and there was the sound of coins being shuffled in a bag that was passed.  
  
Footsteps, and Isabella saw Peter leave the barn with the bag full of KJs, he closed the door of the barn, as soon as he exited.   
  
Nabare now walked over to Isabella, and sat down next to her.  
  
"It is difficult to think that you out of any person in the world would do this, Nabare."  
  
"It is, isn't it."  
  
There was a menacing glare in his eyes that made a chill go through Isabella's spine.  
  
"What are you going to do, I can tell you that you will not become a king in this barn."  
  
"There is something else about you that I have desired apart from your royalty."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Your beauty, your body. The dress you wore to the ball that night showed me most of that beauty, now I am going to see more."  
  
"I am going to kill John." Isabella murmured.  
  
Nabare pulled out a knife. 


	16. How Dare You?

A/N: I am really sorry I know that I haven't been updating but my internet was down!! Waaaan! But my daddy fixed it!!! (no i don't call my dad daddy) Thank you so much...EllaFreak (don't mention it!), ElvenYoukai (of course you knew, I told you!!! 0o), jing'er, Lady Emma, tayk (whose Thomas...lol) and Mage Light (I don't understand what you mean...) . In this chapter the PG 13 rating really starts kicking, I'm sure it's not R but take precautions if you are under 13. Oh and this chapter has more angst than humour.   
  
Chapter 16:  
  
"Don't!" Isabella gasped. He couldn't, he wouldn't!  
  
"I am sorry, princess."   
  
Nabare lowered the knife and cut off the left sleeve of Isabella's night robe. She screamed, and tried to raise her arm to slap him but both her wrists were already bleeding due to her previous efforts for freedom.  
  
"YOU ARE GOING TO BE SLAUGHTERED!!!!" She shrieked as he moved on to the second arm.  
  
This was a nightmare, nothing more, yes. That was it. No it could not be!!! Nabare had just drawn the knife on to her arm, it was painful, so it could not be a dream.   
  
"More noise and I shall add another cut, Isabella." He said firmly.  
  
"YOU WILL NOT DARE CALL ME ISABELLA!!!" She shrieked between tears.  
  
He struck another cut onto her arm.  
  
Isabella did not scream this time, it was impossible. Even breathing was difficult, due to the wails that invaded her at the moment.   
  
Nabare looked at her, she lay there sobbing hopelessly only in her nightgown, now. A malicious glint shined in Nabare's eyes, he gave a smile, as if he was enjoying every single bit of pain Isabella was feeling.   
  
Not long after he had chopped of her nightgown quite a bit higher up the knee. He left it there but moved on to the chest and made a long tear on the torso of her gown.  
  
He put the knife in his pocket now and used his hands to rip of the remaining bit of the dress. Now Isabella was in her undergarments, Nabare bent down and put his mouth against hers. Isabella kept hers shut but his tongue was much too strong and the seal was broken. Nabare got up after two entire minutes of sucking on Isabella's mouth.  
  
Isabella breathed in oxygen, but after that continued to sob.   
  
"Be quite!"  
  
"I shall like to see you make me!"   
  
Nabare gave a cold laugh, he looked Isabella over. Both her wrists were bleeding and her right arm was covered with blood.   
  
"How could you? How could you be so...so...so wicked?" Isabella asked tearfully  
  
Suddenly, Nabare cut of the ropes that tied her hands and feet. Isabella was silent with shock.   
  
"Get up!" He ordered, "There are some old maid clothes in the corner put them on."  
  
Isabella got up without looking at Nabare or saying anything to him. She found the clothes and got dressed. She had only just gotten dressed when Nabare came up to her, grabbed her clothes and started to kiss her. Isabella tried to fight again but she was still too weak. His fingers curled around her hip. This was too much! It would not happen anymore. Isabella pulled away and slapped him.  
  
It must have felt very good. Nabare yelled in pain as he wrapped his hands around his cheek. After a few seconds he let go of his face.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU SLAP ME?" He yelled angrily.  
  
That made Isabella lose every ounce of patience she had in her body. "HOW DARE I SLAP YOU? HOW DARE I NOT SLAP YOU?" She cried out and with that slapped him again.  
  
Nabare grabbed at his face yet again.  
  
"That is it..." He said once he had let go of his face, he drew out his knife. "You have practically begged me for this."  
  
Isabella started to panic. What would she do now? Nabare came closer with the knife and she thought...why not kick him? Once she had kicked an ogre it had sort of hurt him, not defeated him. But it was an ogre...Nabare was definitely weaker than it. Luckily her father had come to the rescue that time. "Come and save me father!" she thought, but for now Char wasn't here so she lifted her leg and kicked Nabare. Nabare fell to the ground. There was blood on his face. She had kicked him on the nose. He lay there on the ground.  
  
Isabella looked down at him.   
  
"I suppose you deserved that..." She said. Nabare did not move. "If your face hurts why do your legs not work? Why will you not stand?"  
  
Nabare did not reply.  
  
"Well, I shall just leave than!" Isabella went over to have a look at Nabare. He was very still, was he dead? Had she killed him? His eyes were blank, and seemed to be staring in to space very still. His mouth was closed and was in the shape of a straight line.  
  
"Oh my goodness!" Isabella kneeled next to Nabare "I have killed you!"  
  
Isabella ran he hand across his face, down his neck on his heart. There was a beat. He wasn't dead.  
  
Isabella got up. "I am going. I thought I would never see daylight again." She walked over to the wooden doors and put her hand on the handle. She was just about to exit when she thought "I should not leave him like this." another voice in her head said "He's alive, he shall be fine." but the other voice argued on "His face is covered with blood. He might not be dead now but soon he will be."   
  
"Or he could awaken any moment and who knows what he'll do!"  
  
"He-"  
  
Isabella hit her self on the head lightly so the voices would be quiet.  
  
She decided to leave Nabare there. He deserved it. Isabella gave Nabare's body a cold last look and left the barn. 


	17. Oh no!

A/N: Can you guess what happened to Nabare in the previous chapter? If you really wanna find out re-read the part in chapter 15 when he reveals to Isabella what his plan had been to kidnap her. Then do the math.... or you might not really care. I just wanna tell everyone something before I move on to the thankyous and that is: I am not going to kill Nabare. I'm sorry I know most of you want me to but does he really deserve to DIE?...Thanks so much: ElvenYoukai (It sounds like you're calling Nabare a good chap when you say good chap. after re-reading it a couple of times I realized that you meant good chapter...am I right? I am aren't I?), Mage Light, gayle and Soulist21(ur review was the longest I have EVER gotten! I can't answer all your questions and thoughts cos the replies will come in this chapter...Ella didn't tell her kids about her past cos she wants to forget about it and talking about it just reminds her of the misery...). A special round of thankness to ElvenYoukai for beta-ing (her word for editing) this chapter as well as some previous chapters. I think we need three cheers! Hip hip! (You: Hooray) Hip hip! (You: Hooray) Hip Hip (You: HOORAY!!)  
  
Chapter 17:  
  
"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM CHAR! NEVER!" Ella barked at her husband. "MY...MY...FATHER...HE IS MY FATHER AND...HE...HE..."  
  
She broke into tears. Char put his arms around her. His left hand was wrapped around a crumpled pieces of paper. A letter from Sir Peter. It had contained eight words:  
  
"Isabella is gone. I have sold her. -Peter"  
  
"We will find her." He assured Ella. "We...we'll find her. I will make sure we do." His eyes were filled with tears as well but he did not let them fall.   
  
The family had woken up this morning, however Isabella was not there at breakfast. The servant who was sent to awaken her had reported that she was not there. Everyone had searched for her frantically, inside and outside the palace. Leonardo had found the note on a sofa in the parlour.  
  
Char pulled away. "I am going to have to draw out a search plan."   
  
Ella nodded as she wiped tears off her face. Midway to the parlour door Char turned around. "Do you think your magic book might have something?" he asked.  
  
Ella's eyes widened. "It must!"  
  
It did not take them long to reach Ella's "study". Ella took the book out from under the table and opened it. The first page had an entry from Elizabeth's diary. "This might come in handy...but not right now." Ella said. The next page had a journal entry from Leonardo. They skipped it. The page after that had an image of the scene in the kitchen right before Isabella had fainted. The other pages were blank. Char turned the pages back to the image.  
  
"Do you think it's...trying to tell us something?" He asked.  
  
Ella frowned. "It would usually just come out and say it instead of giving hints..."  
  
"I get a feeling that it's something important." Char said. "After all...Isabella fainted not long after this..."  
  
"If you look closely...her eyes have a look of slight horror."  
  
Char looked closely. He turned his head to he right, then too the left. He squinted. "No. I can't see it."  
  
Ella rolled her eyes. "Is there anything else strange about her? She asked Char.  
  
"Not really...her hand is on her stomach...her left foot is slightly tilted... she isn't smiling-"  
  
"Alright! I get it! Nothing much... Go make your plan." Ella closed the book, she was smiling a little now.  
  
Char pecked her cheek and went to his study. He closed the door and let his tears fall a little. He did not have much hope of finding Isabella.  
  
Char had just sat down on his chair when there was a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in!" Char called as he quickly wiped tears off.  
  
the door opened and John entered. His eyes were slightly red as if he had been crying too but Char did not notice that.  
  
"Your majesty..." John said bowing. "I know this is a bad time but there is something that...er...came to my attention that you must know about...of course if you are busy with the princess problem then I will leave you...but...um..." His voice trailed off.  
  
"No...no." Char put down his quill. "I won't let personal difficulties get in the way of being a good king. What is wrong?"  
  
"Personal difficulties...what an interesting way of putting it!" John wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead. "I fear for your daughter too your majesty. Quite a bit."  
  
"Is that your problem?" Char inquired, confused.  
  
"No...no...it might be...your...er..." John stopped. "Sir... I am not really doing this well. What I mean to say is that I have been seeing..."  
  
The door swung open and Leonardo ran in. "Father! They found Isabella!" He exclaimed excitedly as he ran to Char's desk.  
  
"Pardon me, John...I apologize...We shall talk later."   
  
Leonardo ran out, Char at a steady pace behind him. John was paralysed. He sighed deeply. "Isabella..." he whispered to himself and left the study. He followed Char and Leonardo to the front door of the palace, over there Isabella was being embraced by her mother. She hugged Leonardo and Elizabeth. Then embraced Char as he approached her.  
  
John could see her looking at him over her father's shoulder. He winked and could tell she had smiled.  
  
After Isabella had been hugged and kissed by all her family, including her grandparents and Cecilia, they began asking her what had happened.   
  
Isabella told them tearfully, "I cannot...I just want to rest, please... All I can say is... it was grandfather... Not you grandpa Jerald... mother's father.... May I go now? I need to rest... I must..."  
  
Ella offered to accompany her to her room.   
  
"Please mother, I want to be alone... please..."  
  
Isabella ran up the stairs... through the halls and into her bedchamber.  
  
She let herself fall onto her bed. For the first time in a long while she remembered that she bore John's child.  
  
Isabella got into her bed covers. She pulled the quilt over her head and lay there counting the seconds until John would come in. There was a knock on the door. Her heart started beating fast, she wanted to pour her heart out to John as soon as possible. "Who is it?"  
  
"Your gardener ma'am." Came John's voice.  
  
"Come in."  
  
He came in. Isabella took her head out from under the covers. John helped himself next to her. He pulled up the covers as well. "Tell me everything." He said.  
  
Isabella told him all of what happened starting from an introduction to Nabare and Sir Peter, tight up to getting into her covers and counting the seconds to his arrival. The only thing that she forgot to mention was the fact that she was going to give birth to his child.  
  
John's face was red with anger. "I am going to kill him."   
  
Isabella sat up. John was usually the kind of person who would laugh and joke around but when he was angry he was extremely angry. Isabella knew John never forgot his anger on something and if he said he was going to do something he was going to do it, whether it was making sure his friend got paid what he was supposed to, or kill somebody who had tortured Isabella.  
  
"It's alright... I'm fine now." She said.  
  
John sat up next to her. "I have vowed already... it's too late to say anything against."   
  
Isabella kissed John. They closed their eyes and seemed to have fallen in to their own world.   
  
"Isabella are you quite sure t-" Ella poked her head in to the room.  
  
They pulled away and got up, blushing madly as Ella stepped dazed into the room.   
  
"You...and you...and-" She looked from Isabella to John seeming frustrated, shocked, and confused at the same time.  
  
Slowly she sat down.  
  
Isabella put her head in her hands briefly. Stood up straight and said, "I think father needs to be here... we all need to... talk."  
  
Isabella asked for a maid to bring Char. Char walked in whistling, but his whistling faded away soon enough.   
  
"Did somebody die?" He asked smiling.   
  
"Yes..." Ella murmured. "I just did... from shock."  
  
Char frowned "John, what are you doing here?"  
  
Ella got up and seemed to have had everything sink in. "Char, honey, sit down. You are going to need this chair more than I." He sat down.  
  
"Alright," Ella said "Here are the facts that I know; you two," she waved her hand at John and Isabella, "were kissing when I got in, and you must have been lying in the bed together before, and these secret meetings have been going on long before today, I presume."  
  
Char was pale. "Is this a joke?" he asked.  
  
"No, father." Isabella told him. "Me and John have been seeing each other for two years."  
  
"Two years?!" Char and Ella exclaimed at the same time.   
  
"It took you two long enough to find out..." She added hastily. "We were going to tell you very, very soon... but you see, Mandy and Aunt Cecilia and Grandma Daria and Leonardo and Elizabeth... they all knew."   
  
"Excuse me... you mean to tell me that each and everyone of them knew and they did not say a word to us?" Ella raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I don't think I can believe that." Char said standing up.  
  
"Father it is true... you can ask them all... oh and I think most of the servants know as well... all of the gardeners and just about everybo-"  
  
"Yes, Isabella, we understand. A longer list won't be necessary."  
  
"I don't understand, why did you not tell us?"  
  
"Because, it was just one little meeting and then it was two, then three, not much, why worry you two? Four, five six, seven, nothing serious yet. Then all of a sudden it was serious and... and I just... kept the truth hidden. All of the people who know found out on their own... we did not say anything."  
  
"We need to talk about this." Ella said "Excuse us... and do... stay apart please."  
  
Ella gabbed Char by the sleeve and pulled him into the hall, closing the door behind them.  
  
"Well?" she looked upon Char piercingly.  
  
"Well what?" Char asked confused.  
  
"What shall we do?"  
  
"Oh er... we should start preparing for the wedding!"  
  
"Char! What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Nothing. It's just that there is nothing we can do. Isabella is a woman, we can't stop her."  
  
"I suppose you're right... but... she started seeing him at 15! She was surely not a woman then."   
  
"If I recall correctly, you were sixteen when we got married, and at fifteen we were writing to each other in secret. Sort of. Our families did not know but it was not really romantic, except for that last letter. Only, you did not send a love reply. But-"  
  
"Char, you're right. We should go-"  
  
"Pardon me, what did you say?"  
  
"We should go-"  
  
"Before that...?"  
  
"Char, you're right?"  
  
"One more time please."  
  
Ella rolled her eyes "You were right Char!" she pinched his cheek as  
  
they re-entered the room.  
  
John's face was a little pale. "Your majesty," He bowed. "I would like to marry your daughter."  
  
Ella opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"You have our permission." Char said before she could start.  
  
Ella punched his stomach lightly. "Since when were our roles switched?" She muttered.  
  
Char laughed.  
  
"Mother, father... we're still here."   
  
Char and Ella stopped looking at each other and turned their attention back on Isabella and John.   
  
"Oh... we're sorry!" Ella said.  
  
Isabella went over and hugged her mother and father "Thank you!" She said.  
  
She went to John and kissed him. Ella cleared her throat.   
  
Isabella blushed as they pulled away.  
  
"You kno-" She started but grabbed her mouth "I... I... I'm going to-"  
  
She ran out of the room.   
  
"Should we not tell them first?" John called after her.  
  
"Tell us what?" Char asked frowning.  
  
"You tell them!" Came Isabella's muffled voice from the distance.  
  
"Oh my goodness!" Ella's eyes were wide open.  
  
"What?!" Char was still quite confused.  
  
"She isn't?" Ella asked John, ignoring her husband.  
  
John nodded.  
  
"Char, you need to sit down!"  
  
"What is going on?!" 


	18. Weirdness and Dinner

A/N : Hey y'all...I feel sad cos somebody stole my bike sniff... lots of stuff has changed in this chapter for example we now have an official beta/editor (ElvenYoukai) and other than that there is a new sort of sense to this chapter. You guys gotta promise me you're gonna read to the very END of this chapter. You'll be rewarded! I'm sorry but the thankyous will have to be postponed to the next chapter that is also up now so let me pass it on to the B.Ns now..   
  
B/N: -- . Oo . ghtitjnj vnvt;imna,njgvhwg ... That made so much sense, didn't it? Well, FYI, that's how atiya writes it before I beta everything ... U  
  
Chapter 18   
  
One week later ...   
  
"HIHIHIHIHIHI!!!!!!!!!!" Cackled the purple-spotted green cabbage alien in its nasally, yet somehow deep ... er ... voice. It was hitching a ride on the back of one of the castle moat's orange crocodiles.   
  
An innocent, clueless maid crossing the drawbridge let out a high-pitched cross between a squeak and a screech, sounding much like Sammy when she was trying to learn how to bike, or the Grinch when he was dizzy.   
  
The basket of tarts (blue-strawberry-peach-cake) she'd been dangling from her pinky-finger jumped up. And it went up, and up, and up ... UP ... UP ... and down down down down down. Then -   
  
PLUNK!   
  
... Right on top of the now hysterical maid's head. Hysterical meaning blabbering about sea-sick pumpkins and acting like a cerulean gorilla with rabies being chased by Jaken on a bright orange Oliphaunt (and a shrieking Hades clinging desperately onto the poor beast's madly swinging tail.)   
  
She stumbled forwards a few steps, crashed into the rainbow-striped macho-snail that was bearing a message to Lord Farquad (meaning it would have to take a turn into a dragon's tummy). Upon impact with the snail's blunt, squishy-able, pointy eyelashes, the maid fell off (through?) the bridge, Inuyasha -'Sit!' style. But don't ask how, for this one does not know, that she doesn't.  
  
She fell onto what looked like an overly-large macaroni-and-cheese orange and turquiose sea anemone, but which proved upon closer inspection to be ... a head. A head with spiky, well, hair, if you could call it that. Ish.  
  
The maid and the head sunk into the deep waters of the moat. They were down there for quite a while, doing kami knows what. The maid suddenly resurfaced on the hump of one of the orange crocs.  
  
The head popped above the water. It was home to a face - a face with a large, pink, mud-stained nose that in all reality looked more like a pig-snout. It's fishy-like lips were painted green and yellow - with water-proof lipstick, of course. By Revlon, duh. Cyan bat-ears and buggish magenta eyes completed the look.  
  
The aforementioned head, also known as Nabare, clambered onto the drawbridge with a bit of help from a wandering spring green dolphin, revealing ...  
  
...  
  
... A man's body in a lime green and royal blue dragon-scale bikini, wearing anklets made of huge, blinding feathers. (oO)  
  
His bat-ears picked up a sound that was much like a ballet dancer with the wrong shoes on, just before he was squishy squashied into bothing-cothing-dothing-fothing-gothing-hothing-jothing-kothing-lothing-mothing- pothing-quothing-rothing-sothing-tothing-vothing-wothing-xothing-yothing-zothing-nothing-ness. YAY! Down with Nabare! Down with Nabare! WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
The alien (who shall from this point on be called Faiz) started to sing. His song was about Santa Clause falling on a next full of 100 little baby ducklings (with very busy parents, may I add). Now, imagine a cabbage alien with a nasally deep voice ... singing. Sounds like the ducklings - and the awfully loud noises their parents are making too . Ugh - doesn't it?  
  
The bothing-cothing-dothing-fothing-gothing-hothing-jothing-kothing-lothing-mothing-pothing-quothing -rothing-sothing-tothing-vothing-wothing-xothing-yothing-zothing-nothing-ness that was Nabare screeched for mercy. Although how a nothingness can screech is beyond me, and the pink cheese moon.   
  
But Faiz was stubborn; definitely not one to take orders, and the deafening noise of his crooning from hell haunted Frell for ... um ... a loooong time. Sooner than later, stuffing marshmallows into one's ears was the common fashion.  
  
Now who was the valiant warrior that slew the scary monster? A puwdy widdle centauw. YAY! It's violet head harboured a large hot pink afro (dotted with purple hearts) which looked much like a ladybug and Sammy's helmet. Feh. Keh. Meh. Heh. Teh. Yeh. Blah.   
  
It was going to hang around to receive it's official what's-it-called award, but Faiz's never-ending shrieking drove him away. Far far away. As did the bothing-cothing-dothing-fothing-gothing-hothing-jothing-kothing-lothing-mothing- pothing- quothing -rothing-sothing-tothing-vothing-wothing-xothing-yothing-zothing-nothing-ness that was Nabare.  
  
As for the maid, she spent the rest of her sorry life alternatingly hollering "CHICKEN WINGS!!!!!!!!" and reciting the full works of Shakespeare in an ear-splittingly high voice.  
  
FIN  
  
By ElvenYoukai  
  
A/N: That was just something that ElvenYoukai pulled together. Was there a purpose you ask? Not really. I apologize. Now here is the REAL chapter 18 (which has no special sense). And don't you forget to read the thankyous at the end people!  
  
One Week later...  
  
The royal family was not the kind to be quiet while having dinner, especially when Char's entire family was present. Cecilia, Char's parents - Daria and Jerrold- and his two brothers, Thomas and Jakyll were all were all seated around the royal dining table along with Ella, the twins, Isabella, and her soon-to-be husband and sister-in-law. John was the main reason for the silence; not only him, but Isabella as well.   
  
It was supposed to be a dinner to welcome John into a family that he was going to join very, very soon. They all knew about the baby, but none of them could find what to say at the moment.  
  
Isabella took a sip from her glass of apple juice; everybody else -minus Leonardo, Elizabeth and Anna - had champagne. She could not drink any alcohol due to the baby.  
  
"So when is the wedding?" Daria asked politely.  
  
"We have not deci-"  
  
"In two weeks," Ella interrupted Isabella.  
  
"What?!" Isabella and John exclaimed together.  
  
Char frowned. "I would have expected you to wish to be wed as soon as possible..."  
  
"But it takes very long to prepare for a wedding!" Isabella retorted. "And Isabella is still in some shock after the abduction." John chirped.  
  
"The wedding should be before you start to ... show." Ella whispered the last word, but everybody heard.  
  
Isabella's face glowed red as her siblings and Anna smirked behind their hands. Jakyll snorted, making his father give him a disapproving look.   
  
Isabella kept her head down and fiddled with a bit of salad at the speared at the end of her fork. Salad, bread and soup were the about the only things she could eat without feeling sick these days. She felt John's hand grip her knee in a comforting way, which she returned with a look of gratitude.   
  
"Do you have any idea what you are going to wear?" Daria asked Isabella.  
  
"I haven't given it much thought actually." Isabella wished they would stop talking about the wedding now.  
  
Her prayers were answered, as there was no further talk about it. Isabella stared at her food, but her gaze was suddenly drawn to John's glass. There was no champagne in it, but a cinnamon coloured drink: apple juice. Isabella fought an urge to throw her arms around him and kiss him in front of everyone. It was little things like this that made a person worth loving, worth marrying, worth spending a lifetime with. John cared so much about Isabella that he didn't drink wine, just because of her. He drank apple juice (his least favorite beverage) because she had to drink it.   
  
Soon all the dishes were put away and dessert was served. Mandy had made a peach pie sort of dessert that Isabella could eat. After everybody had finished dessert they had all gone to the parlour.  
  
Fortunately, in the parlour there were conversations. Elizabeth and Anna were talking in low voices as if telling secrets; they each stole glances at John and Isabella every now and then. It passed John and Isabella's notice, as they were busy having a conversation with Jakyll, Cecilia and Daria. Thomas and Ella were also chatting (Thomas was one year younger than Ella and they got along quite well). Now we are left with Char and Jerrold father and son, king and ex-king. They were probably the loudest, laughing about acccidents in the pass and rolling their eyes each time Daria and Ella shushed them.  
  
"Uncle Jakyll, for the last time, we won't kiss for you!" Isabella sighed exasperatedly.  
  
"Why not? You two are supposedly in love, am I right? So kiss... pleeease?"   
  
"You are so odd... you are the oddest uncle who e-" Isabella was interrupted at as John kissed her.She pulled away."John!"   
  
Cecilia and Jakyll were laughing inconsolably.   
  
"What is so funny?" Isabella demanded. "Well?"  
  
John put his arms around her shoulders. "Let them laugh, honey, it isn't a crime to laugh."  
  
"John!" Isabella pulled his arm off of her shoulders. "Dooooon't!" She complained. "And will you two please stop laughing?!"  
  
John started to laugh as well.  
  
"What? Why is everybody laughing, is there some joke I don't get? Tell me! WHAT?!"  
  
"You are more like your father than you think." John said.  
  
"Alright, go on, laugh! Hmph!" Isabella crossed her arms.  
  
"I hope, for your own good, she isn't like this for all nine months." Jakyll whispered to John. John chuckled. Cecilia snorted, but patted Isabella's arm. "Don't listen to them Isabella, they don't know a thing."  
  
Isabella sighed and got up. "Well, I'm tired, I'm going to bed!"   
  
"Isabella please! It's only 8:30!" Jakyll laughed  
  
"I'm sleepy! I am going to bed."  
  
"Come on honey don't go!" John said grabbing her wrist.   
  
"John let go!"  
  
"They're right Isabella, please stay!" Cecilia pleaded.  
  
"John I told you to let go."  
  
"What's the magic word?"  
  
"I love you!"  
  
John let go. "You know what, I'm sleepy too... I think I'd better come with you."  
  
"Are you two going to bed already?" Came Daria's voice.  
  
"What, already?" Ella asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm tired." Isabella said patiently.  
  
"Well, John, you must stay with us!" Char said.  
  
John blushed "Well... you see... I... I... "  
  
Jerrold chuckled "They are going to be married in two weeks! They deserve to be alone." He winked at them. "Go on, go!"  
  
Everybody laughed, that is except for Char and Ella, and Leonardo as well, who didn't understand.   
  
Isabella smiled and left, John at her heel.  
  
"So are you actually tired?"  
  
"Of course, John!"  
  
"But I thought, we could..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?!"  
  
"John I am sleepy. I want to go to bed!"  
  
"I'll come with you!"  
  
"Jooooohnnn!" She whined.  
  
"Don't whine!"  
  
"I can if i want to!"  
  
"I don't like whiners."  
  
"I don't like you!" Isabella held a mocking expression on her face.  
  
John laughed and put his arm around his fiancee. "It sounded like we were already married!"  
  
Isabella laughed.  
  
"I made you laugh!"  
  
"That was a mistake. I didn't mean to-"  
  
"But you did."  
  
"John! I did not mean to!"  
  
"But you did!"  
  
"It was an accident."  
  
"Well, then I suppose this is an accident as well." John started to tickle her stomach.   
  
Isabella broke out into giggles "Stop-" giggles "Joh-" more giggles "This is not funn-" Tears of laughter were rolling down her eyes now as she tried to break free. Just then there was the sound of a throat being cleared. John quickly let go of Isabella. They both turned around and saw everybody who had been in the parlour with them. John and Isabella were blushing madly.  
  
Char quickly told Leonardo, Elizabeth and Anna to head to their rooms. They left quickly, Anna and Elizabeth laughing and Leonardo frowning.  
  
"It.. it we... we were... well... you see..." Isabella stammered.  
  
"We were talking and then..." John scratched his neck and started to examine his shoes  
  
"We started to tickle eachother." Isabella finished.  
  
"Interesting couple." Muttered Jakyll with a grin.  
  
"Very, interesting." Cecilia agreed, grinning as well.   
  
"Come on! Did you think that was odd?" Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Not so long ago I went into mother and father's bedroom and they were having a pillow fight."  
  
Everyone apart from Ella and Char laughed, but after noticing the looks on their King and Queen's faces, the laughs quickly evolved into exaggerated cough fits.  
  
"Char started it." Ella tried to explain.  
  
"I did not!"  
  
"Char, why are you lying?"  
  
"It is not like you never lie."  
  
"Oh pleas-"  
  
"Thank you for the dinner!" Thomas interrupted in a loud voice.  
  
"Yes, now I think we'd better leave." Jakyll used an even louder voice.  
  
"Oh we're sorry, don't leave!" Ella said.  
  
"No... we really need to go." Jakyll walked to the doorway with his brother.  
  
"Goodbye!" They waved.  
  
There was a chorus of farewells such as, "Goodbye." "Bye." "Goodnight." and a "Don't forget to drink that special tonic I gave you." from Daria.  
  
Thomas and Jakyll lived in a small house that they shared with a few friends. Now one would wonder why would two princes want to go live in a small house that they shared with even more people, when they could simply live in the palace. Well, it isn't at all simple. There are too many orders to give, there are schedules for everything and it was impossible to ever get your privacy with servants everywhere, whilst in the house there were no servants just many close friends and no real schedule, you could eat, sleep or read anytime you wanted. Of course there would not be much privacy in that house either but that is beyond the point.  
  
Soon, everybody else departed to their own bedrooms and said goodnight. Isabella and John went to Isabella's bedroom. They were allowed to share a bedroom because as Char and Ella saw it, Isabella bore a baby, so the worst had already happened. There was a special bedchamber being made for them right now with a small nursery in it.  
  
Isabella got into her nightclothes and John got into his, well, night clothes, if they could be called that. He wore brownish green trousers (which Isabella highly suspected had originally been a different colour), that were purposefully cut in half, without a shirt.  
  
Finally blowing out the lantern, Isabella went into her bed and John crawled in next to her.   
  
"Can I feel it?"  
  
"John, what are you talking about?"  
  
"My child."  
  
"Your child?"  
  
"Fine. Our child. Can I feel it?"  
  
"So it's an it now?"  
  
"Well, I do not know if it is a he or a she so it's an it."  
  
"Ah. So my child is an it to you?"  
  
"Your child?"  
  
"Fine, our child!"  
  
"Can I feel it, or him or her?"  
  
"Again?"  
  
"Yes... pleeeease?" John sounded very much like a small child trying to persuade his mother into letting him nibble on a cookie before supper time.  
  
"Alright, but it would still feel very much like nothing."  
  
John put his hand under Isabella's nightgown and reached to her stomach, he felt it lightly and then pulled his hand back.  
  
"I will make a good father."  
  
"Is that so?" Isabella laughed. "How?"  
  
"Well, I will support my child... and their mother of course!" He added with a smile. "And... I can always understand... I will not be too clingy... and... "  
  
"John, I know you'll be a good father. I know it, you don't need to tell me."  
  
He smiled, pulling his hand out of the covers and smoothing Isabella's hair. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
A/N: sniff i have to do my fave. part the thankyous at the end due to a certain jokeness chappy but it was very fun for ElvenYoukai i'm sure and she got to kill Nabare so if i would kill Nabare ever I would kill him like tht. Aaaaaaanyway thankyou angrypickle, Soulist21, ElvenYoukai (...i think...), Moyen (yeah i had a sort of plot going but i dropped it, due to the fact tht i have this harry potter fic in mind and i really want to start on tht.), Mage Light, gayle (lol, that would have been interesting!), Anywien (lol! you make me laugh my friend, you are very damn funny and by tht i mean u are so damn funny in the way i like my friends!), Leslie (wow! you actually remember the stuff i blab about in my a/ns! don't worry Nabare's gonna pay! oops said too much!), and of course Lady Emma (i don't think i've seen ur review for a bit...welcome back!)....thank you all so, so, so, so, so, so much! Rock on y'all! and peace out! !atiya! 


	19. Problems in Perfection

A/N: The poeple in my neighbourhood, or at least the ones my age, think I'm a book worm. I was reading Harry Potter, minding my own buisness when they walked by and whispered "book worm"... Is that not mean? Ah well, but when they passed the second time the guy I liked came up and said "Hi" and then these other two girls passed and while stiffling their laughter they said "Nice book, it really is good."Like they had been dared to or something. I feel like a loser now. So maybe my pen name should be: Loser. That might suit me more than my name .... I shall shut up now and move onto the FUN stuff! Yaaaaaaaay!!!...Thankyou very much: Soulist21 (I'm sorry but it takes me about a week or so to write a chappy, lol i'm very slow when it comes to writing, by tht i don't mean i'm a slow typer cos i'm not but it's just little things like how do i replace "said"in this sentnce?... my harry potter fic is going to be an LJ starting from first year and it's going to go on to seventh year at the least), Anywien (you need not be sad cos i'm probly going to post the chapter just around the time you'll be back.), Mage Light, Leslie (well, it was just a fun lil thing that was... but you have to admit it was well writen. I think ElvenYoukai is a briliant writer.) and EllaFreak (Yaaaay! You're back, I missed you! You had me all worried young lady! I was imagining all these horrible things... shudder ... well, welcome back! I hope you had a fun time at camp!)... I just remembered! I should have said this earlier but I wish you all a very happy summer, I hope y'all are having a blast. Have fun swimming, playing, eating, reading, watching TV, listening to music, running, acting, singing, riding, sleeping, camping, travelling or whatever you're doing this fine summer! And I hope you all catch the wonderful summer flicks! I want to watch: A Cinderella Story (starring: Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray Chad! drool), The Princess Diaries 2 (Julie Andrews, Anne Hatheway), and last but certainly NOT least SPIDER MAN 2 (Toby Maguire, Kirsten Dunst). My brother wants to watch Yu Gi Oh the Movie which in my opinion is groooooosss! Since I hate Yu Gi Oh. No offence if you like it. Just placing my opinion. Ahem Anyway now onto Sammy for a the beta's note.   
  
B/N: HIHIHIHIHIHI!!!! Grrr ... Atiya! I'm not gonna start 'em all of like that, you idget! (no offense) She typed the fist sentence before emailing this thing to me to be beta-d. No more 'HIHI!'s. Mou! Anyway ... thanks to everyone who reviewed; EllaFreak, Leslie, Mage Light, Anywien, and Soulist21. Atiya likes reviews. Which means her chappies come faster, and I like that as much as you guys do. Yupses. Also, keep in mind that the first bit of chapter 18 was comlpete and utter messed up ridiculous nonsense. (Atiya named the alien. Faiz ish her brother's name. Heh. .) So ... pay no attention to that, and please don't judge my writing by that stupid piece of ... something.   
  
Chapter 19 (already?!):   
  
Isabella blinked her eyes open to a lot of light, and was surprised to see that the space next to her on the bed was empty. She glanced up at her small clock, gasping in surprise at what she was seeing. It was 11:30. 11:30! She jerked up and noticed that her curtains weren't drawn. So that was where all the light had come from. Her bedroom door was slightly open and she could hear a lot of commotion outside.   
  
Isabella rubbed her eyes and walked over to the door, and cautiously eased it open, curious to what all the noise was for.   
  
What she saw when she opened the door made her gasp. The halls were swarming with decorators, wedding bells were being hung, banners were being put up and many rolls of cloth were being towered in the room across. She could see her mother, aunt and grandmother talking to a stern looking woman who had her silky black hair tied back in a very tight bun. She also gave the appearance of being much taller than she really was. (B/N: Mcgonagall? (sp?) Hehe.)  
  
Daria saw Isabella and waved. She was the first person to have noticed her in the hall full of people.   
  
"Isabella!" she waved. "You're awake!"   
  
Ella turned her head and smiled. "Good morning honey!"   
  
Isabella stared at them with confusion in her eyes.   
  
They walked over to her along with the woman who they were talking to.   
  
"What is going on?" Isabella asked.   
  
"We're preparing for the wedding, dear!" Daria told her with a smile.   
  
"Must we decorate the whole house?" Isabella inquired combing her hair with her fingers, perfectly aware that she was a mess.   
  
"Certainly!" Cecilia replied enthusiastically. "Now Isabella, I want you to meet Jennifer-" she motioned to the stern looking woman, who bowed when she was introduced. "She is a wedding planner and she will be in charge of planning your wedding."   
  
Isabella gave her a forced smile; she didn't have the energy to curtsy first thing in the morning.   
  
"Why-" Isabella had barely said the word when four women who started stretching measuring tapes around and across her. "Why are they measuring me?"   
  
"Don't mind them, they're just measuring you for your wedding dress." Daria said with a small laugh.   
  
Isabella crossed her arms. "Why is there such a fuss over the wedding?!" She half yelled. "I thought I already mentioned that I am not having a wedding in two week's notice! I am not going to start showing in two weeks!"   
  
Most of the decorators were staring at the princess, some were having a little laugh behind their hands. The wedding planner, Jennifer was irritated by this, she excused herself and started giving out instructions to some of the decorators.   
  
"Isabella, honey." Ella walked to her and smoothed her hair. "I know this is overwhelming, you should have seen John-" Ella smiled at the memory, "but don't worry. I would not do all this to hurt you. If it were something bad I wouldn't have let it happen but this is how it has to be if we're going to have a wedding here."   
  
Isabella sighed, her mother's words had made her feel a little better but why was there such a big fuss? Why did the whole palace have to be decorated?   
  
The women who were measuring her had now stopped and rushed her hastily back into her room. Ella, Cecilia and Daria followed shutting the door behind them.   
  
They undressed her and a woman with short red curls had started to instruct the ladies.   
  
"No, no, no! The corset must be more fitted!"   
  
Isabella gasped for breath as the women tightened her corset.   
  
"Alright dear, here is the plan for your wedding. There is going to be wedding ceremony, then there will be a baby shower, and a ball will complete the event." Daria explained very quickly.   
  
"A baby shower," Isabella choked out. "Is that really necessary? Please, could this corset be a little less tight; I am expecting after all."   
  
"Oh yes, I forgot! Losen the corset please!" The red haired woman smiled. "How do you want the wedding dress to be-"   
  
"I will tell you that this princess has no sense of fashion," came a voice.   
  
"JOHN! I am changing! Get out!" Isabella glared at her fiancee, no longer choking.   
  
"I am your future husband, meaning I have special privileges."   
  
Ella, Cecilia and Daria laughed.   
  
"Let him stay, I agree, you have no fashion sense." Cecilia said putting a chair in front of Isabella and motioning John to sit on it.   
  
John sat down and thanked Cecilia."Alright. What was the question? Ah yes, how should the gown be. Well, I want there to be no sleeves, instead the neck should eventually decrease in to two straps which are tied behind her neck."   
  
The red haired tailor was still quite shocked by John's sudden arrival but she agreed, "Yes, that is quite fashionable today."   
  
Isabella glowered at John, colour fast rising to stain her cheeks.   
  
Ignoring her he continued, "And, wedding dresses are usually good long, but please no train. They disgust me."   
  
It took a while but soon the outline of the dress was pinned on to Isabella.   
  
"Now, I think that the skirt should be sewed together in the middle." John walked over to Isabella, and kneeled in front of her skirt using his fingers to hold the two sides of the skirt together.   
  
"Yes, yes. That will look nice." The tailor said. Everybody (except for Isabella) was quite taken aback by John's interest (and good taste) in fashion. So far the only one who had disagreed with anything John had said was in fact the one that the dress was actually for. She gave John yet another glare. "I'm tired." She complained. "May I at least have breakfast?"   
  
"Of course dear!" Ella said, remembering that her eldest daughter still needed to eat breakfast. "John, would you like something as well?" She inquired as she went over to the door.   
  
"No, thank you."   
  
Ella instructed a maid to bring some cinnamon bread from the kitchen.   
  
"I'm thirsty." Isabella was not at all worried about being too bossy, at least not anymore.   
  
John picked up the glass of water that was on her bedside table. "Here we go." He said putting it to her lips, she took a few sips.   
  
"Thank you."   
  
"You're welcome." John sat back down.   
  
"Do you think we should add more layers to the skirt?" The tailor asked John holding her chin and staring at the wedding dress that was so far.   
  
"Well, maybe just one more." John replied.   
  
"John, how did you come in exactly when I was changing? How did you know?" Isabella demanded.   
  
"I didn't mean to, dear. I had just come in to tell you that your father has knighted me, but when I saw you were in the process of making your wedding dress I tho-"   
  
"WHAT?!" Isabella's loud exclamation made everybody jump, including the women who were pinning her skirt. Luckily the princess did not get stabbed by the pin. "YOU GOT KNIGHTED? WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME EARLIER?"   
  
"Must have slipped my mind."   
  
"Congratulations, honey!" Isabella leaned in, motioning for him to come up and kiss her. It took him a few seconds to realize but he stood up and gave her a peck on the lips.   
  
"Congratulations John!" Ella hugged him   
  
"Good work!" Cecilia shook his his hand vigorously.   
  
Daria nodded. "Congratulations, I knew that you would make it."   
  
John blushed.   
  
"Congratulations." The tailor gave him a brief smile before telling one of the women that she was putting the pin in the wrong way.   
  
Isabella looked at him eagerly as he sat down again.   
  
"What? Do I have something on my face?"   
  
"John! Tell me what happened!"   
  
They were inturrupted by a knock. "Come in!" Ella called.   
  
A maid brought a plate with two slices of cinnamon bread. John took it from her and thanked her.   
  
"Alright, now I'll tell you while I feed you." He said breaking a piece of the bread.   
  
"John don't feed me-" John stuffed a bite in her mouth.   
  
She chewed it and swallowed.   
  
"That is not an option."   
  
"Isabella, honey, if you don't mind, we'd better go. Lots of planning lies ahead of us." Came Daria's voice.   
  
"Right, well goodbye."   
  
"Goodbye." They chorused in reply.   
  
As soon as they left John started to explain. although he continued to feed Isabella while he spoke.   
  
"Well, I ate breakfast with your father today and he kept eyeing me during the whole meal. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, so I ate swiftly, and as soon as I finished he got up with me. Mind, he wasn't even finished his breakfast. He said to come with him to the study. When we got there he asked if I wanted to be a knight. I said that I wasn't about to take any favourism and that I knew that all the positions of kinghts were already taken. He laughed and told me that there was one position remaining, the one that N-N- well, you know ... he ... left. I asked him why he was picking me out of all the men in Frell. Well, he said that I was loyal, turstworthy and strong. He said he wanted to make me a knight from the first time he saw me if only there were still some positions were open. It was my childhood dream to be a knight so I let him knight me. Now I think I might have done wrong."   
  
"Of course you haven't!" Isabella said surprised that thought would ever cross his mind.   
  
"Well, I think he might be favouring me." John said stuffing another bite of cinnamon bread into Isabella's mouth.   
  
Isabella swallowed.   
  
"Of course he isn't!"   
  
"How do you know?"   
  
"My father does not favour anybody, he is the fairest person I know. Uncle Thomas applied to be a knight, but he got rejected because he was not quite mentally ready to be a knight, and he was older than you at the time."   
  
That had made John feel a little better. Well, maybe a lot better.   
  
While John and Isabella were talking Elizabeth and Leonardo were downstairs...   
  
"Hurry up!" Leonardo seethed, clenching his teeth as he opened the door to Ella's study so that his twin could hear him.   
  
"Close the door!" Elizabeth snapped back, Leonardo quickly closed it. "Do you think I don't want to get out of here? I was supposed to get measured for my bridesmaid dress, alongside Anna for her flower girl."  
  
Leonardo didn't reply.   
  
He closed his eyes, but when he reopened them he saw Ella was coming their way. "Elizabeth, she's coming. Mother's coming!" He cried urgently through the door.   
  
Inside Elizabeth panicked. Quickly she returned a book labeled diary back on to the bookshelf. Curiously, it had been empty. Elizabeth looked around the small room for a place to hide. Desperate, she scurried to underneath the small table that was covered by a tablecloth. It would have to do.   
  
She noticed a thick book of fairytales under the table, the table was so small that Elizabeth's foot was on the book. 'It must have fallen here." She thought.   
  
She could hear her mother's voice outside the door.   
  
"Leo, what are you doing?"   
  
"Nothing ... I was just ... umm ... standing." Leonardo stammered.   
  
"Ah. Well, you are supposed to be in your room getting measured for the clothes you are going to wear at the wedding."   
  
Leonardo hadn't replied, but Elizabeth guessed he had nodded.   
  
The door opened, and Ella came in. Elizabeth sensed her sitting down, she held her breath, but to her surprise, he mother's hand lifted the tablecloth and reached under the table. She felt Elizabeth and the hand froze. Slowly Ella lowered her head and saw Elizabeth. She let out a deep sigh.   
  
"Liz, you gave me a shock!"She exclaimed as Elizabeth got out. "What were you doing?!"   
  
"Mother ... it was just that ..." She gave a small sigh and told Ella all about their curiosity. "Sorry, mother." She said at the end.   
  
"No, no, I should be sorry." Ella shook her head. "Leonardo, you can come in now." She callled.   
  
Leonardo entered sheepishly.   
  
"You know ... when I ... long ago ... when I was born ..." Ella got up, she was sweating slightly. "Follow me." Ella got up, pulling the book out from under the table and leading the two out of the study. Up the staircase, down the hall, through a small chamber, to the left and into their older sister's room. She knocked. "Come in!" came Isabella's voice.   
  
Isabella was wearing a normal gown, sitting on a chair and reading a book.   
  
"Isabella, we all need to have a little talk."   
  
Isabella jerked up and her book went flying to the other side of the bed.   
  
"I ... I ... I thought we already had that talk mother ... long ago .... it might have been a little late to give it to me anyhow ... I suppose this is for Leo and Liz ... should I get Father?"   
  
"Not that talk!" Ella rolled her eyes in a most un-queenly manner.   
  
Isabella sank back into her chair. "Good."   
  
"You see, Leo and Liz were curious about what happened to me when I was young. What was in my past, because I seemed to have hidden it from you three."   
  
"I used to be curious too, but I just gave up." Isabella confessed.   
  
"When I was born," Ella started, "A fairy put a curse on me. She called it a gift, but it was a curse, it was the curse of obedience."   
  
The three, raised their eyebrows, clearly expecting something much different.   
  
Ella continued. "The curse did not let me have my own will. If somebody were to order me to make my bed I would have to do it, I wouldn't have been able to stop. If the order was to cut of my head, let myself be eaten by an ogre, or even to kill my own mother I would have had to do it. The only people other from me who knew about the curse were Mandy and my mother, who were present when it had been laid on me..."   
  
Ella continued to tell them about her fifth birthday, he so-called friend when she had been eight, mother's death, Char's entrance into her life, Mandy being her fairy god mother, her father, finishing school, the elves, the ogres, the giant's wedding, her father's marriage, her step family, the letters, the magic book, Lucinda's promise to not do big magic, the three balls, and the breaking of the curse   
  
"... and then we got married after a month. Lucinda was there. She gave us a gift, oh don't worry it wasn't a curse, but I think it's somewhere in my study, I'll show you sometime."   
  
"Mother can I see the book?" Elizabeth chirped excitedly.   
  
"Be careful!" Ella warned, handing it to her. Elizbaeth flipped the pages excitedly, Leonardo peering over her shoulder.   
  
"Wow! Mother! This has pictures of... this is interesting! May I borrow it?"   
  
"Alright."   
  
"Thank you!"   
  
"Share it with your brother!" Ella called as Elizabeth ran out of the room, Leonardo toppling off behind her.   
  
Isabella was staring at Ella silently with her hand on her stomach.   
  
"What's wrong dear?" Ella asked concerningly.   
  
"Mother, what if Lucinda is at the wedding?"   
  
"Well, honey, rest assured, she no longer does big magic, curses and the sort."   
  
"But she will be there."   
  
"Of course. Fairies are always there at weddings and births."   
  
"Births? So she is going to be at my child's birth as well?"   
  
"Well... I suppose so."   
  
"Mother she is going to get to chances to curse my family."   
  
"Lucinda does not do big magic anymore."   
  
Isabella got up. "Yes she does, because Nabare told me he had the gift to see the future and only fairies can give gifts!"   
  
"It could just be genetics you know."   
  
The door was opened and John came in.   
  
Isabella approached him "Mother cancel all the arrangements. There is not going to be a wedding." 


	20. Goodnight!

**A/N:** I went to watch Spiderman 2 it was a great movie ... The ending was cute ... May I please ask why I got such a disappointing number of reviews for this chapter? ... 3 reviews! That is it! It isn't very encouraging you know so that is why I have not written a very long chapter, and why I have taken so long to write this chapter ... Thank you: Mage Light (why cancel the wedding? well, because Isabella is really worried about getting cursed by Lucinda and anyway she's preganant so tht makes her quite delirious) and Gayle (she isn't really stupid, she's pregnant ... yes they aren't helping but they are being honest with the kingdom LOL what a shock it'll be ... not as if i haven't written the part already ... cos i have sweats ... aaanyway thankz for boosting up my self confidence!!), Anywien (I do? Why thanks! )

**B/N:** Well, I don't really have much to say, except that it's boring here. ---- Mou! Seriously, being bored is not fun. Errgh. On a different note, why did we get sarcastic SO many reviews? Three? Wow! That's excellent. Anyway, thanks to those who did review, and for anyone who's interested, our HP fic (Yesh, OUR HP fic. I get to do half ) Is under the penname Mastermind Youkai. Kk? Kk. Now, on with the story.

**Chapter 20:**

"DO SOMETHING!" Ella flamed.  
"Like what?" Char replied calmly.  
"Did you find anybody from his family?"  
"Isabella said that he had told her he was the son of an earl, but none of the earls I know have fathered a Nabare, so it is highly likely that he was lying."  
"And are you still searching for him?"  
"Yes, the knights are still looking for him and Sir Peter; none of them can be found anywhere."  
"And Lucinda?"  
"Yes, anybody hosting a wedding or child birth is to notify us immediately if Lucinda is there."  
"She claims to have stopped doing big magic so much that she will not even appear if somebody was to say 'Lucinda please come to my aid'..." Ella's voice was drowned out by sparks, followed by a beautiful young fairy.  
"Hello my dear!" Lucinda smiled warmly. "Did you call?"  
"Uh ... yes ... yes, I did. I would like to know, when was the last time you did big magic?" Ella demanded.  
Lucinda stroked her chin and told her, "Well, my dear, I think it must have been about twenty-one years ago."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, quite positive."  
Char thought he might try to help. "Is it possible you might have had a too much to drink and ..."  
"Fairies never get drunk." Lucinda frowned in slight disapproval. Char sat down on a chair with an expression very much like a student would have after a teacher had punished him.  
"Anyhow, how is young Isabella doing?"  
"Oh she's fine." Ella said taking a seat next to Char and motioning Lucinda to sit down as well.  
"Not young any more though." Char said, his confidence slightly re-gained.  
"Yes, she must be about ... sixteen now?"  
"Seventeen." Ella corrected.  
"Ah. So are you looking for a match?"  
"No."  
"Why not."  
"Because she found a match herself."  
"Oh my! Well, when may I inquire is the wedding?" Lucinda exclaimed joyously.  
"There will be no wedding."  
"Why ever not?"  
"Early today Isabella decided not to get married."  
"Why in the world would she do that?"  
"She was afraid of getting cursed by a fairy at the wedding."  
"Where on earth did she get that fear?" For some reason, Lucinda happened to glance quickly at Char.  
"Well you see, I told her my story and then she was recently kidnapped by a man called Nabare who claimed to have the gift of seeing the future."  
Lucinda gave a shaky laugh. "Well, that is absurd. First of all there is no possible way that a fairy can give the gift of seeing the future, second of all, Nabare is the name of that odd line ... they are known for there interesting genetics and some even think they are not human. But I know definitely that they are human, because what other specie could they be?"  
Ella and Char stared at her, then at each other. "Well, which one of us is going to go and talk to her?" Ella inquired.  
"I'll go."  
"No, no, I'll go."  
"Thank you!" Char gave a relieved sigh.  
Ella frowned, and then turned her attention to Lucinda. "Well, thank you Lucinda!" Lucinda got up and curtsied before waving her hand and disappearing.  
Just as Ella got up to go and talk to Isabella the door was thrown open by Isabella and John.  
"Mother, father ... I have decided to get married again!"  
"Oh, I was just going to tell y-"  
"John and I were talking and we have come to the conclusion that, well, if we are going to have a child we need to be married!"  
"Um ... sweetie ... did you just come to this conclusion?"  
"Well, if I would have listened to John earlier instead of yelling at him, we would have come across it earlier."  
"Ah ... thank goodness the wedding is on again!" Char got up as well.  
"But we have to compromise." Isabella told them as she and John sat down on Ella and Char's bed.  
"Compromise?" Ella and Char sat back down in the seats they were sitting in earlier.  
"Yes ... first of all no baby shower." Isabella started.  
"Alright, done." Char said thinking this was much too simple.  
"Second, we are going to choose the guests." John continued.  
"Alright then." Ella glanced at Char thinking the same thing as him. "Third, and this is the most important thing ..." Isabella hesitated. "You must not take this personally but ... mother, father promise us you will not sing at the wedding."  
"What is wrong with our singing?" Char with a slightly hurt look on his face.  
"Nothing ... well, er ... everything ... I mean, well, you both have l-l-lovely singing voices but we will have entertainment and you embarress me when you sing."  
Ella laughed. "We promise not to sing."  
"We do?"  
"Yes, Char, if that is what they want."  
"But ... but I like to sing."  
"I am sure you do but honey you musn't forget that we are the parents and we do embarress, anyhow, do you not see the pained looks in our poor childrens' faces when we sing?"  
"I close my eyes when I sing-"  
"Goodnight then!" Isabella said hurriedly, in order to get out before her parents started babbling nonsense. "Goodnight!" John called, closing the doors behind them.


	21. Further Happenings

A/N: Hey y'all! Okay this is the penultimate chapter! Which means this chapter is the second last. The chapter after this will be the last chapter! For me this is happy news since I have been writing this story for sooo long with many interruptions such as moving houses, computer being out for repairs, internet not working, writer's block etc. Thank you: Mage Light (Did they? The movie made me sooo mad, I watched the trailer and I made this Ella-Enchanted-Non-Movie-Supporting team and Sammy is part of it ... and i saw the cover of the book on a scholastic book order form ... it has Anne Hatheway on it! And Ella Enchanted is written in purple bubble letters! I was so disgusted! I used my markers to make many crosses on it.), Anywien (lol, well, I shall try!), Gayle (thank you for understanding me dear! smiles broadly), merriam ( aww ... you are kind! :D!), EllaFreak (i totally understand your situation since the same thing happened to me yesterday), Soulist21 (lol i won't.)  
  
B/N: yawns I'm tired, and being forced to write this thing. -glares at Atiya- What's the point anyway? Who even reads these things? Well, me, but that's beside the point ...  
  
A/N: Interesting note Sammy ...  
  
Chapter 21:  
  
It was the day before the wedding and everyone was running about doing last minute changes, even Jerold, who never really showed much interest in preparations for anything.  
  
Isabella was kept hostage in her room, where maids kept coming in with pots full of Mandy's hot wax and women Isabella had never seen before constantly kept returning to play with her hair.  
  
The wedding dress had finally been completed and it hung neatly in Isabella's walk-in closet. The special bed chamber for Isabella and John had also been completed, but Cecelia had had the idea to not let either John or Isabella see it until after the wedding.  
  
The finest champagne and apple cider had been ordered for the wedding. Isabella and John had finally got permission to chose the guests and had selected people for the roles. The roles for the wedding had been planned as follows:  
  
Flower Girl: Anna Bride's Maids: Elizabeth, Cecilia and Isti, who was the younger sister of Areida (Ella's best friend.  
Best Man: Benjumin, John's best friend.  
Ring Bearer: Leonardo  
  
"Hold still, dear!" Said the woman who was plucking the hairs that grew above Isabella's upper lip.  
  
Isabella rolled her eyes; this was so annoying! Why did she need all her facial hair plucked, her body hair waxed and the hair on her head cut?  
  
"Don't move your eyes, sweet." Came the exasperated voice of the woman who was plucking the hair between and around her two eyebrows.  
  
There was a knock on the door. The maid that had been taking gowns out of Isabella's wardrobe for the new bed chamber went to answer it.  
  
Leonardo walked in with his hands behind his back.  
  
"Isabella, I have something to give to you." He said.  
  
"One second, dear, we are almost done with your sister." Said the woman working on Isabella's eyebrows.  
  
They finished swiftly and hastily left the room, gabbling very fast about getting some facial wax.  
  
"Seriously, my patience level is this high with those two!" Isabella said when the women had left. She smiled at Leonardo. "What do you want to give me Leo?"  
  
Leonardo slowly took his hands from behind his back, uncovering a large bouquet.  
  
"Leo! They are beautiful!" Isabella exclaimed as Leonardo handed it to her.  
  
"I picked them myself ... from the palace gardens ..."  
  
"I love them ... and I love you." Isabella put her arms around her little brother and hugged him.  
  
"I am sure John will love them as well." She said as they pulled apart.  
  
"But they aren't for John ... they are just for you."  
  
"I thought it was a wedding present ..."  
  
"No, this isn't the wedding present. This is just a token from me to you."  
  
"A token? Why?"  
  
"Because you are the only one who listens to me, and I love you, but now you love John and your baby, and this is my farewell to you, so I just want to thank you."  
  
"Oh Leo!" Isabella put an arm around her brother and sat down next to him. "I will always love you ... just because I am getting married and having a baby does not mean I will forget you. You are my brother and you will always be a giant part of me. A part that John or this baby will never share with you." Isabella pulled Leonardo closer to her.  
  
Leonardo beamed and then he said, "I am sure you will make a wonderful queen someday."  
  
"Oh that is not going to happen for a ... a long, long, long time." Isabella said with a slight note of panic in her voice.  
  
"Oh it will happen soon, I am sure."  
  
"Oh ... oh no ... no ..."  
  
"Do you not want to be queen?"  
  
"I don't. I really, and truly don't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't know. I don't think I'm ready, ready for this." Isabella touched her neck and a gold chain appeared.  
  
"What's this?" Leonardo questioned, alarmed by the magic.  
  
"Oh .. this is the chain that father wore when he was first in line to the throne and before him grandfather Jerold and before that his mother, and so on and so forth."  
  
"Why have I not seen this before?"  
  
"Because it is only visible when the person who is wearing it wants it to be."  
  
"How long have you been wearing it?"  
  
"All my life ... it is really light, made by fairies, and you can not feel it. I don't really care about it much so I never really want it to be that visible."  
  
"May I touch it?"  
  
"Go ahead. Oh wait, no! Don't! If you are not first in line to the throne and your skin touches it then that part will be burnt."  
  
Leonardo quickly drew his hand back. The necklace disappeared from Isabella's throat.  
  
"Can I ask you something Isabella?"  
  
"Of course! Well you just did, but anyway ..."  
  
Leonardo's lips twitched upwards into a small smile. "Well, say I liked this girl, or if I really liked her and I did not know what to say to her ... what do I do?"  
  
"Who is the girl?" Isabella asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
"No one ... no one ... just someone ... but no one ..."  
  
"Well, Leo, girls like to have gifts. Pretty gifts like ... like ..."She spotted the flowers Leonardo had given her. "Like flowers."  
  
Isabella walked over to the bouquet and picked the most beautiful flower, which was a pink rose.  
  
"Give this to her." She said handing him the rose. Leonardo took it from his sister.  
  
"She'll like it?"  
  
"Oh she will love it. Like I did ... She will love it, whoever she is." Isabella said sounding as if she didn't know.  
  
"Alright. Thank you." Leonardo gave Isabella a last hug, and walked out of the room. Just before closing the door he said. "I do have a wedding present for you ... you and John."  
  
Isabella smiled at him as he closed the door. She walked over to her bed, carrying the bouquet. As she stroked the beautiful flowers, an idea came into her mind.  
  
There was another knock on the door. John walked in. "Flowers? Have you started seeing someone already? We are not even married yet."  
  
"John! You really are mad! These flowers are from Leonardo. Do you like them?"  
  
John looked at the flowers and laughed. "Like them? I grew most of them."  
  
There was silence and John stared outside of the window as if he was resisting an urge.  
  
"Can I feel it?" John asked, breaking the silence.  
  
"What, the flowers?" Isabella gave her fiancé an odd look.  
  
"No the baby."  
  
"John!"  
  
Isabella stood up. "No you can not! You feel 'it' every half an hour! 'It' has not changed!"  
  
John gave a pout. "Please?"  
  
"No!"  
  
John walked behind Isabella and put his arms around her. "Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?" He asked and pecked her neck.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Please?" He kissed her neck yet again.  
  
"No! John! Stop it!"  
  
"Please?" He placed another kiss on her neck. "Please, please, please, ple-"  
  
The door burst open and John and Isabella stepped apart, both blushing madly.  
  
"Pardon me for not knocking but they need you two downstairs right now!" It was a man servant.  
  
"Why?" Isabella asked, but John had already followed the manservant out. Isabella followed them, going as fast as she possibly could.  
  
They reached the entrance where two large men were holding a figure by his arms. The figure was fighting to be freed, but his efforts failed.  
  
"Nabare?"  
  
"Is that him?" John's face was turning red.  
  
"Yes ... it is ... where did you find hi-" She was interrupted by the arrival of her father.  
  
Char looked at Nabare and then at Isabella.  
  
"Well, I suppose you know that you have been taken off the list of palace knights-"  
  
"But Sir, I worked hard to get that position, and if I had taken somebody else's daughter you wouldn't have car-"  
  
"Shut up. " John said coldly "Don't interrupt him."  
  
"Thank you John, now as for you ... what you did was against the law and the only punishment suitable is a hanging."  
  
"Sir, would you mind if I gave him at least a nosebleed before the hanging?"  
  
"Calm yourself John, we would not want any law suits for you."  
  
"Should I not get a trial first?" Nabare asked trying to break free still.  
  
"Of course, you'll have a trial but I am sure the result will end with either a life time in prison or hanging."  
  
"That is much too harsh." Surprised everybody turned to look at Isabella who had just spoken those words "A life time in prison? Hanging?"  
  
"Or I could just have his dead body ready for you in five minutes." John sneered, looking coldly at Nabare.  
  
"Well, Isabella, I think it is fair that you choose the punishment for Nabare."  
  
"Well, four years in prison. Just four years. And ..." 


	22. The Wedding

A/N: So here we are with the very last chapter ... this is it. The very end! I am most probably not going to write a sequel, I'm sure nobody wants me write a sequel, cos if I do I will most probably kill John, mwahahaha ... and yeah I'm gonna move on get started with the LJ (LilyJames) that I am writing with Sammy, if you're interested in that it will be up on another account, one with the penname Mastermind Youkai.

Thank you to: Mage Light (you will NOT find out the other part of the punishment in this chapter. you shall all have to guess, mwahahaa), EllaFreak (The necklace ... hmmm ... well, actually the idea came to me in the oddest place ... the shower ... isn't that odd? i was thinking about the ending of my story and the idea of the necklace came to me so i decided i need an introduction to it before the last chapter. And yeah you're right i think i do need break! And I did take one a looong one!), rojay (er ...), b2okworm1 (you don't know who leo has a crush on? I made it pretty obvious! But ah well you shall find out me dear!), l'ilmissnitpick (I'm sorry if you aren't quite satisfied), Soulist21 (AAAH! I know I hate it too ... yeah Gail Carson Levine should sue!!!), SavvyKiwi (You are much too kind!!!!!), outlawed-little-angel (Beams), and Anywien (Hi to you too!!! lol). I can not thank you all enough! Thank you!!! Your reviews have been so supportive!! I could not have done this without you all! I love you!!!!! Byeeeee ='(

B/N: -to Atiya- Why must thou inflict such torture upon me? Thou shalt most certainly be punished for such a heinous crime! -grumbles- No ever even reads the frickin' B/N. What's the point?! Anyway, now that I'm here, I should probably mention that the song I'm listening to, No More Words by Ayumi Hamasaki, ish very purdy. Also, thank you to everyone who ever reviewed this story, it's only because of you guys, and my rather annoying begging, that Atiya decided to finish this fic. Thankees! Also thanks to anyone who read, but didn't leave a review. I'm pretty sure there are at least some that, like me, are generally too lazy to review. U Well, goodbye to everyone, and please give our upcoming LJ fic a shot. One last thing, if you do read this B/N, could you be so kind as to say so in your review? It'd make me happy ... = )

Chapter 22:

The wedding day had finally arrived. The women who continuously entered Isabella's room had finally made the young princess "beautiful".

The decorators, however, were still not finished. They were rushing about, trying to put up last-minute decorations up as fast, yet carefully, as they could, while the exasperated wedding planner, Jennifer, shot instructions at them. Jennifer had obviously never been told to plan a wedding in two weeks, let alone a royal wedding. Day after day her bun had gotten more loose and less tidy, her eyes gave the impression that she had lost sleep, and her patience level had reached it's maximum. Today she looked even a bigger mess than usual and drank continuous cups of Mandy's special coffee, as if in an effort to not drop asleep on the spot.

However, nobody could deny that she had done a wonderful job and of course she was being paid very fairly. The royal Ballroom, where the wedding and ball would be, hung heavily of the best wedding decorations with fantastic baby colours. Since there was no baby shower the things at the wedding would be coloured in baby colours. She had also taken time to plan out the appetizers and beverages with the help of Mandy. For drinks there would be Champagne, Apple Cider, Water, and Lemonade. For appetizers they would have a pixie-style salad containing only fried baby corn and chick peas (another substitute for no baby shower), garlic bread, tomato-cheese soup and fairy cakes (which were extremely light, tasted sweet and slightly sour and made you hungry after you had devoured them.).

For entertainment, one of Kyrria's most popular bands had been hired. This band was extremely expensive to hire so only the very wealthy could afford hem.

The woman who had tailored Isabella's dress had designed most of the clothes for the wedding.  
Ella's friend Areida and her younger sister Isti (the third bride's maid) had arrived for the wedding. Isti was much younger than Areida; they had an eleven year age difference. Isti and Isabella also had a fair age difference but they got along finely.

Isti and Areida, who came from a not-so-wealthy family had been overwhelmed when maids had started pinning on their clothes for the wedding.

"I wish you could have arrived earlier, we would have had much more time to make this dress, and a bride's maid's too! Your gown needs to be very well done!" The tailor had sighed in frustration at Isti while giving instructions to the maids.

However, the tailor and Jennifer were not nearly as winded as the bride. Indeed, Isabella could be seen running through corridors and having outrageous rows with a variety of people.

"... and it is so white! I mean it's so white that it's boring! Why couldn't it be yellow? Or green?" Isabella was giving the crowd of people that were on her bed a long, negative speech about her wedding dress.

John, Elizabeth, Leonardo, and Anna each raised an eyebrow.

"Er ... honey ... Wedding dresses are supposed to be white ..." John put in quickly as hurt spread over his fiancée's face from the reaction of her audience.

"So are you saying that I am insane?"

"No, no!" John assured her, although under his breath he muttered, "Though it wouldn't hurt to add that thought ..."

Elizabeth, Leonardo and Anna howled with laughter but stopped abruptly as they caught Isabella's eye.

"All of you do think I'm mad!" Isabella yelled, thrusting the dress back into the wardrobe.

"No, sweetie-" But it was too late.

"YOU THINK I HAVE GONE MAD! TALKING ABOUT WEDDING DRESSES THAT SHOULD BE YELLOW! WELL, I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I LIKE THE COLOUR YELLOW!"

"Isabella!" John got up. "You will make the dress look beautiful, white really looks good on you and yellow doesn't ..."

"Why thank you sweet heart!" Isabella beamed. "I look good in white! That is so kind! But ... I don't look good in yellow? Be honest John, do I really not look good in yellow?"

"Er ... well, yes, because you see some colours suit you very much while others don't ..."

"So I look ugly in it?"

John cursed himself for bringing this up, and all the other people in the room gasped at the word he had just uttered. Even Isabella dropped the subject-

"John! Not in front of them!"

"Oh ... I ... I am sorry ... it just slipped ..."

There was silence.

Isabella at down on a chair and then she said, "So Leonardo, did you give that flower to that special someone yet?"

Leonardo blushed deeply, Elizabeth on the other hand burst out laughing.

"He ... he ... he got ... got ... he got her a ... a ... flower?" Elizabeth managed to gasp through a fit of laughter.

"Ummm .. what are we talking about?" John asked raising an eyebrow.

Leonardo muttered something about going to find Char and left the room, blushing ferociously.

"Leonardo I'm sorry! I did not mean to!" Isabella rushed after him.

"I have to hear all about this situation!" Elizabeth toppled off after them, smirking widely.

"What were they talking about?" Anna asked her brother slowly.

"Oh I think I know ... but you probably don't really want to."

"Well, I guess I don't then ... John?"

"Hm?"

"I was wondering don't you ... don't you miss ... miss them?"

"Who?"

"You know ... mother, and father ..."

" Um ... Well, yes ... I do ... sort of ... I don't really want to but I ... I do ..."

"I miss them too."

"But ... but you never really knew them ..."

"I know but ..."

John waited for her to finish but she left her sentence hanging.

"I never asked you Anna ... but I will now ... Do you want me to marry Isabella?"

"Of course!"

"You might feel a bit left out ..."

"But I am!"

"What ... what do you mean?"

"I am left out." Anna told him casually.

"How so?"

Anna shrugged. "Everybody else has parents ... I don't."

"You have me ..."

"No! It isn't a foul thing that I have no parents ... I have you! And I would choose you over our parents anytime ..."

"Thank you, but what I meant was when I'm married I will have less time for you."

"Yes, that is true, you will spend your time making beds." Anna snorted.

John blushed.

There was silence and they both stared in different directions.

"Do you want them to be at the wedding?"

"Mother and father?"

"Yes."

"Well, not really. No I don't."

"Why not?"

"They ... they would not have wanted to come."

"Oh." Anna got up. "Well, I had better go find Elizabeth."

"Alright then."

Anna left the room.

A few minutes later John found himself in the corridors searching for Isabella.

She was not with her mother, father, sister, brother, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, friend, or uncles.

Annoyed, John decided to check the kitchens, and there she was.

"I have been looking everywhere for you!" He exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! Mandy here offered me some tonic and so I came here to drink it."

"Er ... right ... should you not be getting ready for the wedding now?"

"Perhaps, what time is it?"

"It's noon."

"Oh no! Yes, I think I'd better go! I was supposed to start getting ready half an hour ago!"  
Isabella hurried away.

"The tonic will make her temper much better." Mandy told John as she washed the goblet that Isabella had been drinking from.

"Is it fairy made?" John asked eagerly.

"No ... well yes ... partly ... master John I think you ought to start getting ready. I daresay the groom still has to be groomed." Mandy gave a light chuckle at her own joke.

"Er ... I suppose so ..."

It took six hours for everything to be perfect. The decorations had finally been hung, the food was prepared. Everybody in the palace had finally finished dressing for the wedding.

John and the tailor had pridefully taken credit in designing Isabella's dress. It looked wonderfully white, and she had inherited a necklace from her mother that had been worn on weddings since Isabella's maternal great grandmother's.

"I want to go and see John now!" Isabella whined, trying to tug away from a woman who was attempting to fix up her hair.

"No!" Ella and Cecilia practically yelled

"But why?"

"Because, as we have repeatedly told you, the bride and groom are not supposed to meet each other for an entire hour until the wedding ceremony." Ella sighed in annoyance.

"That is insane!"

"It's tradition!"

"How much longer until the ceremony?"

"Fifteen minutes." Cecilia replied, checking the clock hanging on the wall.

"So I suppose all the guests are here then?"

"Yes, I suppose so ..."

"Well I had better go now." Ella announced and rushed out of the room.

The door opened again and in came Elizabeth, Anna and Isti.

"Oh good!" Cecilia took a deep breath. "You are finally here! You were supposed to come earlier."

"Well, we are here now are we not?" Elizabeth drawled in an extremely un-princess-like manner, rolling her eyes.

"Yes ... yes ... Oh Anna! What a pretty flower!" Cecilia smiled at a beautiful pink rose nestled in Anna's hair.

"Thank you." Anna blushed cutely.

Isabella gave Anna a warm smile, so she had been right about Leonardo's little infatuation.

"You all look so marvelous in your clothes!" She beamed at them.

"We are nothing compared to you!" Isti retorted, laughing. "Your wedding dress is just ... amazing!"

"Really Isabella! It looks beautiful!" Elizabeth nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's not yellow enough." Isabella muttered.

"What?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

There was silence and then -

"Sweet, your hair is done!" From the hair stylist.

"How does it look?" Isabella bit her lip and walked over to the mirror.

"Ooh! It's beautiful! Thank you!"

She saw the woman's reflection curtsey and exit the room.

Suddenly Isabella closed her eyes and put a hand on her stomach. She was not going to vomit. Not now! She couldn't!

She felt an arm around her shoulders. "Are you nervous?"

"Y-yes." She stuttered.

"Trust me, you are ready to be married." Cecilia assured her.

"No, I am not nervous about that. I think I am going to vomit."

"Isabella, you will be fine. It feels like it was yesterday when I was consoling your mother on her wedding day."

"But ... I don't need consoling ..."

"Oh but Ella did. She was crying."

"Mother was crying on her wedding day?!"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"Nervous ... confused ... and she missed her mother."

"Grandmother ..."

"Yes, your grandmother.

Are we ready then?" Came a voice.

"Char!" Cecilia rolled her eyes. "I didn't hear you come in ..."

Char ignored her. "Alright, Anna will lead us. Do you have the basket, dear? Alright, good. And then Elizabeth, Isti, Cecilia and last but certainly not least, me."

Isabella cleared her throat.

"Oh yes, me and Isabella, of course."

Anna opened the door and all the people in the room filed out after her.

They stood at the entrance of the ball room and the band started to play.

Anna walked onto the aisle, steadily throwing the petals on the ground. Elizabeth, Isti and Cecilia followed.

Then finally Char and Isabella followed, arm in arm.

Isabella bit her lip, feeling slightly scared, but she could not remember ever being so happy.

All too soon they reached the front of the aisle and Isabella stood facing John.

The grand chancellor said some words that the princess didn't really absorb, because she felt so lost in John's sky blue eyes.

John smiled, and Isabella could sense the happiness in his eyes as he spoke. "I do."

Some more words and it was Isabella's turn to say 'I do'. She searched her body desperately for her voice, it had seemed to have disappeared. Then suddenly she heard herself say "I do."

"Jonathan, you may kiss your bride."

John leaned in and his soft lips covered Isabella's mouth. They kissed, and in the distance there was applause.  
Pulling apart, Isabella saw the smiling and tear-stained faces of her parents and the rest of her family.

John put an arm around her and pulled her close to him.

"I love you." he muttered in her ear.

"I love you too." Isabella grinned.

Suddenly, there was a scraping of chairs and arms were being thrown around the couple's necks, and kisses were being planted on their faces.

It was difficult, but Isabella and John were somehow able to break out of the crowd.

Everybody went into the dining room for dinner, and before anyone had a chance to make a toast, Isabella rose from her seat, raising her glass and using a spoon to make loud clinking noises.

"Umm ... good evening ... I ... I have an announcement."

Heads turned to looked up at Isabella, some had eyebrows raised, and all looked slightly shocked, including John.

"Today is most probably the best day of my life, " Isabella paused. "I have everything I need now, including the best husband in the world ... but I also have some things that I do not need. As you all know, I am first in line to the throne. And I ... I ... I do not want to be. This is supposed to be an honour. So why not give it to somebody who will be honoured."  
Isabella paused once more. Only one person in the audience was not shocked by the words Isabella had spoken, and that was her husband.

"What ... what I am trying to say is that. I am resigning from the position of heir to the throne. I am passing down this position to the person who is second-in-line. A person who needs it far more than I do. And that person is my younger brother Leonardo." A chain appeared on Isabella's neck, she put her hands around her neck, un-locked it and took it off as a blushing Leonardo approached his eldest sister.

"This necklace is worn only by the person who is first in line to the throne, and now it is my brother's." Isabella put the necklace around Leonardo's neck and smiled.

Leonardo seemed lost for words. He gave a weak smile and suddenly his eyes seemed overly bright, as though glistening with unshed tears.

Soon, after all had eaten, although Isabella and John had spent most of that time kissing, and many toasts had been made, it was time for the ball. The band started to play again as John and Isabella led the dances, followed by Char and Ella, and then Jerold and Daria.

A beaming Leonardo put his arm around the waist of his dancing partner, Anna. Cecilia smiled as she took the hand of a palace knight. Jakyll offered Isti his hand as his brother, Thomas, offered his to Areida. Elizabeth frowned but accepted Benjumin's offer to dance. Benjumin was John's age, being his best friend. So the age difference of nine years made Elizabeth and Benjumin the most hilarious couple, although Char would describe it differently.

It was hard for Isabella to decide whether the second best moment of her life was talking and laughing with her family and guests until midnight or whether it was being shown her and John's (and the baby's) new bed chamber which was beautiful and huge, and all of the things in it (including a crib) were presents were the wedding gifts, or spending her first night as a married woman.

And so they all lived happily ever after ... or at least as long as "happily ever after" lasts ...

**The End.**


End file.
